Circa 1950
by Winds of Water
Summary: After death, there is life... on Earth. Roy has a second chance at life, and love. RoyxEd
1. Chapter 1

Well, welcome back my old people... and maybe we'll get some new ones. Here is runner-up number two in the vote you all took at the end of Believe In Me.

Happy days? Let's hope I can pull this one off right. Hehe..

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Chapter One

Roy came to, gasping and choking for breath as he numbly rolled over onto one side. His fingers clutched at the soft loam, the dirt damp and cold to the touch. The feel of the dirt made him open his eyes slowly in confusion. The lids felt heavy, almost as if he'd been drugged to sleep and was only now coming out of a comatose state. He had fallen asleep in bed, hadn't he? So why was he lying in the dirt?

The pain in his chest was oddly gone, even his brief coughing fit had produced not even a remote twinge of the pain that had been plaguing him for weeks. He hadn't even coughed up any blood, which was even stranger. He could breath easily now. But he couldn't just _stop_ being sick like that, could he? No one had even known he was ill, he'd hidden it well. So if he was no longer sick, what was he?

He wasn't… dead? Was he?

Flopping over onto his back again he blinked up at a twilight sky. The stars were just beginning to shine against the backdrop of the dark purple and black sky. What clouds there were, were mere wisps drifting lazily along on the updraft. There was a faint rumbling sound in the far off distance, it sounded like vehicles.

Slowly he eased himself up into a sitting position, wincing somewhat as he felt his body ache in the places the ground had pressed awkwardly against his body. Putting a hand to his head he rubbed at his temples to try and gain some clarity of thought.

Clarity of thought came as a jolting shock as he happened to look down, and realize why he was so cold.

His pajamas were gone.

He wasn't sick anymore, and his clothes were missing.

Roy wasn't sure just how much weirder this could get.

He looked around quickly, seeing that he appeared to be alone in the middle of what was not much more than a misty, ploughed dirt field. Well, alone aside from the dairy cattle that wandered across the way beyond a short stone fence.

Somehow, exposing himself to cattle didn't exactly thrill him. And he was wondering just why in the hell he _was_ naked. And another thing, _where_ was he? He didn't recognize this place at all. None of the land features, not even the stars. Which was very odd, he decided, as he gave them one last confused look.

Perhaps this was just some strange dream?

Yes, that had to be it. It was just a strange dream, a _very_ strange dream. And a bit annoying actually that he'd have a dream where he was actually naked, but instead of the one person he'd want to be in the dream with him, he had a bunch of dairy cattle. There was something cruel about that.

Roy reached over, and pinched himself, hard. He'd learned years ago that his physical body actually carried out what his mind dreamt. Hence all the reasons he'd woken up in time to experience the end results of his more erotic dreams in their full end glory. And all the reasons he'd sometimes found himself doing naughty things to his pillows, the exact things he'd been doing just then in his dreams. Curse him for having continued to buy feather pillows and get jabbed awake by the sharp end of the feather. So pinching himself in his dream would have the same result. Pinch himself in the dream, his physical body would also pinch his inner thigh in a very brutal way, and he'd be waking up any…

Wait… why wasn't he waking up?

Roy looked down to see an angry black and purple bruise beginning to form. Okay, so that hadn't worked. How very unkind of his body to finally go against its normal routine just in time for his dream about dairy cattle who were probably hoping for a show.

Well, there was another way around this. If this was a dream, he should be able to take control of it, right? Just nudge his conscious forward a bit, he'd done it before, and dream some clothes onto himself. That at least might take care of part of this problem.

So he focused, hard.

Nothing happened.

Roy growled under his breath something that should never be repeated in front of small children. Okay, so this dream was persistent. Suddenly he yelped, clutching his head as a monotone voice sounded in his head.

"_This is NOT a dream!_"

Somehow, he didn't feel like arguing that point. Especially when a strange sensation of reality, the kind you feel when you're awake, smashed into him like a caravan of bricks. Rubbing his head tenderly he gave an uncharacteristic whining sort of sound.

So if this wasn't a dream… had he been kidnapped? Kidnapped, unclothed, and left in a dirt field nearby a pasture of dairy cows? As far as he could tell, he hadn't been raped. Wouldn't that have been the topping to his- wait, evening?

Roy looked up at the sky, and around again. The moon was rising, and twilight had given way to midnight blue and black. When he'd gone to bed, it had been past midnight. So why was the sun setting again so soon? Unless he'd been unconscious for almost an entire day.

Slowly he stood up, only stumbling a bit to do so as his muscles decided at the last minute that they'd start doing their job. He brushed the dirt off his body as best he could, still looking around at his surroundings. Still only he and the dairy cows.

But if this wasn't a dream, he could find some organic matter and transmute some clothes for himself. Even without his gloves, he could still draw circles. He needed to definitely get some clothes. He couldn't go streaking around the countryside amidst the morning milk.

So Roy began making his way over to the cows, who lowed at him sleepily and blinked at him with their big cow eyes. Cows had the most pathetic looking eyes, and their big wet noses.

"What are you looking at?" Roy growled at one of them who seemed to be eying him with detached interest as he squatted to dig a transmutation circle in the grass field. Clothes, he needed clothes. He was feeling violated, by cows of all things. With the circle complete, Roy blew a hot breath on his cold hands to warm them some before placing them to the ground.

Nothing happened.

Roy gave the circle an evil stink eye look and tried again.

Nothing.

"What the-" A cows moo cut off the rest of his sentence. Roy glared at the offender.

He checked the circle, everything was correct. So again he tried. Still, nothing happened.

"Okay, this is not good." Roy groaned as he flopped back onto his back in the middle of the cattle. "I've been kidnapped, stripped, and my alchemy isn't working! This is-" and so Roy began venting just what this was, to the interested cattle audience.

Finally he finished his ravings, and got up. He couldn't just lay here, that was stupid. He needed to do something, and preferably the first thing would be to find some clothes.

Which is how thirteen minutes later, Roy Mustang was streaking through a grass pasture after nightfall at a run. It felt refreshing to be able to run again, though he would have rather been running with all of his parts not flying free in this cold air. But run he did, rejoicing in the fact that he seemed to be able to run again and not double over coughing up blood or fainting just three minutes in. He ran all the way to a dark farmhouse adjacent to its companion red barn.

There was a spot in the dirt driveway where a car obviously parked, as the section was stained from the fluids it had leaked at one point in time. The car was not here, which meant that the people who lived here were not here. Which meant that Roy would have no trouble getting into this house to find something to wear before getting the hell out of here.

And go… where?

Where the hell was he supposed to go when he didn't even know where he was? He supposed that inside he might find mail, that would at least give him a town name. That was something more than he had now to go on.

Roy was out of practice at breaking and entering without alchemy, which still seemed to be null as far as producing it went. Something that unsettled him greatly. He stared at the door before looking around for a suspicious looking rock, or flower pot, or something. People always kept spare keys in those places, places they thought they wouldn't be found. Yet everyone hid their keys in the same place, which Roy thought rather defeated the purpose of hiding it at all. You might as well just hang it on a nail on the doorframe with a note reading "_Help yourself_".

He saw no promising objects, and so felt around on the top of the doorframe.

"Aha!" Roy gave a cry of triumph as his fingers brushed cool metal. Bringing the key down he fit it into the lock… only to discover that the door had been unlocked to begin with. "Brilliant." He rolled his eyes, and chucked the key over his shoulder and stepped inside.

Once inside he shut the door quietly and found a kerosene lamp which he lit after a few fumbling moments. The dim glow of the firelight bounced off of the sparse furnishings, all looking aged and well worn. The photographs were black and white, or sepia if they were considerably aged. But he was not here to take in his surroundings.

Roy quickly toured the farmhouse until he found a bedroom. There he rummaged through the closet until he found a pair of denim jeans and a white t-shirt that fit him nicely. He drew the line however at pilfering the underwear he also found. There were suspicious stains, and he was not about to test those waters. He did however chance the socks, and then later the worn sneakers that he managed to cram his feet into. But he did not plan on staying in these clothes. There had to be a store somewhere.

Which was why he took some unfamiliar monetary bills from the bedside table. He would have liked to say he had every intention of paying the money back, but he really had no clue.

Going back downstairs, the money shoved into one pocket, Roy rummaged through what appeared to be today's mail. According to one letter, he was in a place called Surrey, England. He was about to claim he'd never heard of the place, but then something in his memory lit up.

England.

England was one of those countries in that Europe place. The one Edward had been sent to by the Gate. The one… "Holy shit."

Roy sat down sharply in a reed and rough hewn wood chair as he stared at the letter. It couldn't be… but it was. He was in the world Edward had gone back to. Somewhere, somewhere Edward was in this world. He had no idea where, but he had to find him.

Casting the letter aside, a corner of a newspaper caught Roy's eye. By its prominence on the table, it seemed to be today's issue. Which meant that if that was the case, today was September 13, 1950. And even better, the forecast for tonight and tomorrow seemed to be clear with little chance of rain or clouds.

Which would explain that by the time Roy set out of the house on foot to follow the driveway to a road, the clouds moved in from the east and it promptly began to drizzle. He grumpily decided that the people who predicted the weather in this country were morons.

Roy sighed, and kept trudging up the road. He really needed to find a store… these shoes were not working for him at all. And he suspected he might need a jacket.

**London**

Edward cast a dark stare out the large panes of glass that were nearby, giving him a view of the tarmac where several airplanes were moving around slowly as they made their way to the correct station so passengers could load.

"Brother, is something wrong?" Alphonse asked as he sauntered up, his suitcase in one hand, the other shoved in a pocket.

Edward turned, and shook his head. "Just glaring at the rain. I get tired of it sometimes. It makes my automail act sluggish."

Alphonse smiled sympathetically. "Well I just hope my plane doesn't end up wanting to wait for an hour hoping the rain abates."

"They're not that moronic… usually." Edward smirked, and stepped over to hug his brother. "You have fun in Toronto."

Alphonse hugged him back, "I will. Don't work too hard while I'm gone."

Edward pulled away with a smile. "I shouldn't need to. There's only a press conference tomorrow morning."

"_Now boarding flight 391 to Toronto,_" crackled a voice over the loudspeaker, "_Gate 23-A_."

"Go on." Edward grinned at his brother. "And bring me back a polar bear or something."

Al laughed, and retreated backwards with a wave. "See you in two months!"

Edward waved, and waited until Al had vanished from view before turning around and heading for the terminal exit. He wrapped his military style black jacket with silver fastenings around him tighter as he emerged outside into the cold and damp air. Fighting back a shiver he made his way down the sidewalk, heading back to the parking garage.

He found his government car waiting where he'd left it, gleaming black under the dim lights of the garage. As he had clearance to park anywhere with his plates, he had chosen to park practically right on the exit, on the fire line. Not that he was lazy, but he hadn't wanted to deal with a long walk through the parking garage at night.

Getting in he started the engine and pulled out onto the road.

It was a slow drive home in this weather and with the traffic, but Edward eventually turned into the gates of his small chateau. He got out to unlock and shove them open, before having to shut and lock them again once he'd driven his car through. Sure, he could have mechanized it, but he felt that was lazy of him. He parked in the small one car garage he'd had added to the small estate home, and got out.

He cast another dark look at the rain before he went through the side door to enter his home.

He hadn't bought this place, but it was deeded to him. He had been given it by his boss, along with the car. Though while he was allowed to keep the house should he ever retire, he was not allowed to keep the practical and functional government car out there taking up room in his garage.

Edward made his way up to his room where he quickly stripped out of his damp clothes and put on a robe and the black slippers with bunny ears that everyone loved to make fun of. He didn't see why he shouldn't be allowed to own something cute.

Fighting back a yawn Edward went out of his room and to the small library with the glass windows forming what should have been the outside wall. They stretched all the way across, and up and down, so that it looked almost as if you'd walk right off and into the lawn below. It was those windows he walked up to so that he could look out at the rain.

It would be lonely not having Al around for two entire months. He hadn't been alone like this for a very long time. And the people who would come calling as they did almost every day so that he never had any peace, would not bring him the same sort of comfort Al would. None of the people here understood him like Al did. With them, he had to watch what he said. He had to watch everything he did, lest they suspect he wasn't being truthful about his past. With Al he didn't have to.

It was times like this when the world turned dark and cold, and rain poured down from the sky, when Edward felt the most alone. This big world, but he felt entirely alone. He missed so many people… even though their faces were here. It didn't make things any less lonely.

Or heartbreaking.

Edward's eyes darkened at the memory of that, and he turned away from the windows with a ragged sigh. It had been a long time since that had happened, he should be over it by now. After all, it hadn't even really been him. But it had still hurt. Only his loyalty to a _person_ and not a face had kept him from going over the edge.

Feeling rather moody because of the rain, he headed to bed early in hopes of sleeping himself into a happier mood. That and getting some sleep. He couldn't show up with circles under his eyes and acting grouchy to the press conference tomorrow. Somehow he doubted that would go over well. Especially when foreign diplomats who still passionately loathed him would be in attendance.

Crawling under the thick and plentiful covers he turned off the lamp on his bedside table, hoping his demons would not haunt him this night. Hoping that tomorrow would go off without a hitch and life would go on as normal.

If only he'd known his life was about to take a turn far from normality, he might not have gotten any sleep at all that night. But for tonight, he rested without concern or knowledge of one human being in a town not too far from London. A human whose only mindset was to find him.


	2. Chapter 2

Viskii: Roy is a very good streaker... whenever I reread that scene I always hear the 'Born Free' song in my head.

Fullmetal Embers: Well, until I see you, lurker, at the end of the story, I am glad you're enjoying it so far.

Passion: I can't wait either, it's kind of scary how much fun I have writing this one.

Bar-Ohki: I like strange things... I'm a strange lady.

Phoenix: Not sure yet on the story length. And I will do my best to update every day. Hopefully my laptop won't be out of commission for much longer.

GreedxEd: Roy's illness will be revealed later on, yes. It's far too interesting a plot point to let die. Pardon the pun.

anmb: Cows just seem to suit him...

Addict: They are older, which will be made clear later. But Roy is in his early 40's (though Ed will often say he's older), and Ed in his early-ish 30's. I'll do exact ages if I ever do birthday's for them.

Ria: I hope it's a good idea, it won the second most amount of votes... hehe. Yes, Roy finding Ed shall be fun.

sillygoose: I'm glad it's exciting, I love hearing that.

Paon: Correct you are of what he died from. They are older yes, exact ages won't be set unless I throw them birthday parties, but Ed's in his early-ish 30's and 40 in his early 40's.

Mary: Yes, questions will be answered in due time throughout the story.

Shikon: You know you want to be one of those cows.

SomethingOfImportance: Lurker... I am tempted to use the duct tape on you, but I shall refrain if you come back nicely. -cackle- I am glad you're happy this one is up, I am too actually... stay out of the shadows, it's more fun that way.

haganeno: You are either a lurker or a new one. I'll get the duct tape ready just in case... And yes, the new season should be interesting. Let's hope they don't screw it up.

mrawgirl: Having a confusion of emotions now are we? And yes, I did write Please, Stay.

loser in the gutter: Reunions are always a blast. I've never known one to be normal.

p power: Thank you, and update I shall. It's an addiction of mine.

Eli: You only know that because I told you, goober. Was this a good switch from the crying at Shifting?

* * *

To the issue of age: Exact ages are not yet set in stone but Roy is in his early 40's, Ed in his early-ish 30's. I had to make them older because it is '1950'. But I wanted them to be young enough where they didn't have wrinkles and were starting to risk becoming bald and have... dysfunction. Ahem.

To the issue of Roy's illness: A few of you know what it is, one of you I told. So you could look through the Chapter One reviews if you were really curious. However, the topic of the illness will be a reoccuring theme, and you will find out via the story should you want to wait and be surprised while you test your medical theories. I recommend the latter.

To the issue of my laptop: Still a no-go. Working on it, but right now updates may or may not be daily. I am trying my hardest though to make them daily even if I don't have my laptop. I apparently love you all too much.

To the issue of my issues: You have _no_ idea.

Now then, I would like to note that this is not entirely historically accurate. It's fiction, which means I get to do whatever I want. But for the sake of it being decent, I'm going to restrain myself and not go overboard and make the world run by aliens and Indiana Jones. So names, and dates may or may not be real. However most of the places are. Edward's chateau, to my knowledge, does not actually exist.

Happy reading! ... that means you too, lurkers...

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Chapter Two

Roy had had no idea that trying to buy clothes would have turned out to be such an event. His ears were ringing, he was wondering just what sort of crazy place he'd ended up in, and he'd had the police called on him according to the shopkeeper.

No, he never would have thought that trying to buy clothes would have been so troublesome from the moment he walked through that door at just before closing.

Entering the shop, Roy expected maybe at the very least a word of greeting. But he got none, and so decided to start browsing on his own. He was flicking through the racks of jackets when he heard someone come up behind him.

"Hi, can I help you find anything?" Asked a cheerful feminine voice.

Roy turned, but before he could say anything, the elderly woman let out a piercing scream and backed up so fast she nearly toppled over a rack of socks. Shocked though he was, he reached out to steady her on her feet. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"You! Get your hands off of me!" She shrieked, batting his hand away and retreating while staring in horror at the scar that sealed off where one of Roy's eyes should have been. But he had arrived without any clothing… including his eye patch.

Roy was confused, and a bit hurt by the unfair treatment. "What's wrong? I'm not going to hurt you… I know my eye looks bad but-"

"Traitor!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, running for the counter where the register was. "Escaped! He's escaped!" And she fairly dove for the phone.

Roy blinked. Traitor? He'd been here only a few hours. Just who the hell had he betrayed and how? And escaped from what? "Excuse me, I think you have me mixed up with someone else…"

"No!" She insisted, dialing on the spinner swiftly. "You're the traitor!"

Roy sighed, just a bit annoyed by now. "Look, ma'am, I just want to buy some clothes."

"So he can change his appearance!" The woman fairly shrieked into the phone. "He's here! Come quickly!" And she slammed the phone down.

Again, he sighed, and turned back to the rack of jackets. "Look lady, I don't know who you think I am, but I can promise you I'm not them."

"Traitor!"

"Yes, you've screamed that already. I get the idea." Roy rolled his eyes.

"I've called the police, they'll be here soon!"

Roy shrugged, "okay. Anyway, while you're being so sociable, do you know anyone by the name of Edward Elric?"

The woman paled, "you stay away from him! Traitor!"

Apparently she did. Which meant Edward was somewhere around here. He needed to find him. It seemed that he wouldn't need the assistance of the police after all. Which meant he had to hurry.

Roy quickly got together clothes he could tell by the look would fit him, including a pair of boxers this time. The boots took a bit longer, but soon he had everything. Bundling it up in his arms he walked over to the counter to set a few of the bills down before retreating out of the store to the screams of "traitor!".

Roy hurried down the sidewalk, ducking just in time into an alleyway as what was obviously a police car came around the corner with the light whirling about and a siren cutting the peaceful night air. Breathing a sigh of relief Roy hurried further into the darkness. Once he'd gone a respectable distance, he stripped out of his current clothes and left them on the ground while he pulled on the others.

This time everything fit him perfectly, from the boots to the black slacks to the white dress shirt and black leather jacket. He pulled the jacket around him tighter and stuffed the remaining bills of money into a pocket before hurrying away through the drizzle of rain.

Roy walked until he found a place here in this town that was still open.

A bar.

Which might prove beneficial. So he went in, deciding that it was best he take a seat near the exit just in case someone else started fuming at him.

"What'll it be?" Asked an unclean looking beer-bellied man who was toting a cloth and a glass he was drying of clean water.

Roy sincerely hoped that basic alcohol was the same here. "Scotch?"

The bar keeper nodded, and set the clean glass down while he fetched a bottle from the wall. "Not seen you around before. You a soldier coming home?"

"Haven't been one of those for a long time." Roy muttered as he watched the amber liquid splash into the glass before him.

"Was that how you lost the eye?"

Roy shook his head. "I fought someone who forced me to have only two options. Either give up and die, or take the slim chance that I wouldn't die if I fought back but I would be gravely wounded. I survived, barely, but I killed him. I lost the eye, and for a few years someone who was very dear to me."

"Woman huh?" He grunted.

"Something like that." Roy replied elusively. "A friend, but I always wanted it to be something more. They came back… once… for not even a day. And then they were gone again. I never told them how I felt."

"Now that's an injury no one can see." The bar keeper nodded sagely. "So what brings you to Surrey? This friend of yours?"

"I have no idea what brought me to Surrey." Roy shook his head, and took a sip of his scotch. "But I am actually looking for someone. I have reason to believe he's somewhere around here."

"Name?"

"Edward Elric." Roy answered, wondering what sort of reaction would be sparked now.

The bar keeper nodded slowly, and poured himself a glass of scotch. "Well, I know he lives in London, which isn't too far. But I have no idea where. He should be at Parliament tomorrow though. The Prime Minister is giving a speech."

"And Edward is…?"

"His head advisor."

Roy was impressed, it seemed that Edward had made something of himself. In government of all things. How the blond had managed that without killing people out of frustration at the politics was beyond him. But at least now he had a location to find him. "Where is Parliament?"

"Where abouts is it you came from?" The bar keeper asked him with a frown.

Roy waved a careless hand. "Far from here. So this Parliament place?"

"Take the morning train to London, and then just ask directions. It won't be a far walk."

Roy talked for a while longer, getting some basic groundwork on his surroundings. Eventually he departed though, following the directions he'd gotten that would take him to the train station. It was still drizzling rain when he got there, and decided to spend the night on a station bench out of the rain. It was really his only option.

It was shaping up to be a long night.

Roy wasn't sure he'd gotten any sleep that night. When dawn finally began to break he was already awake. He was stiff and numb from the cold and being wet. He managed to get up and purchase a train ticket to London though from a sleepy looking teller.

As he boarded the train he saw he was getting suspicious looks, and was reminded of that woman in the shop the night before. So far no one had yelled at him, but he definitely felt wary. He just hoped he could find his way to this Parliament place and find Edward before he was accosted and yelled at by more of these people.

He decided that just for safety's sake, he should try and avoid letting anyone see his face. So he took a seat next to the window and dutifully stared straight out of it while keeping an ear open for activities going on around him inside the train.

It seemed to take ages, but soon enough the train began to pull from the station. Roy settled in to wait, and hope he was able to pull this off.

The train was a bone rattling experience, and very painful when your bones didn't have much padding on them. And in Roy's case, that was true. His illness back in Amestris had caused his weight to plummet, forcing him to wear layers in order to look normal. It had been a hot experience, but necessary. But underneath the clothes his skin was stretched over protruding bones in places. Now that he was no longer sick he had a chance to gain back a healthy weight. But for now, the train ride proved an unpleasant experience.

He found himself enraptured by the scenery as it coasted by. This place was wet and gloomy, but it had a certain elegance and seduction about it. When London itself came into view, Roy was in awe again at the city skyline as rays of light that managed to make it through the still drizzling clouds illuminated section of the architecture like spotlights showcasing the finest features.

The train steamed and puffed up to the station, brakes squealing as they heaved the lumbering piece of human transport to a stop.

Roy was going to wait until the train had unloaded of his fellow passengers, but upon spotting several men who were undeniably policemen who were looking for something, someone, he changed his mind. Quickly he stood up, and hurried out of the train along with the other passengers. Amidst their large numbers as they joined an even larger number of people milling about, Roy was able to vanish. For which he was very grateful.

Perhaps it was paranoia, but he felt certain that the police were looking for him. But he hadn't done anything wrong! Something strange was going on here, and he needed to find out what. Hopefully Edward would be able to help him. From the sound of it Edward could have the power to protect him from being arrested until they figured all this out.

Roy hurried through the crowds, and was about to take the chance of asking someone for directions when he spotted a large map of the city in a glass case mounted to a wall. He made his way over to it, and found where he was, marked by a little red 'X', and located the Parliament building. He should be able to make it, it wasn't too long of a walk considering what he was used to. "Please be there, Edward." He muttered under his breath, hurrying off.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

"I'll keep that in mind." Edward said into the phone as he twirled the cord around one finger idly. He nodded along mockingly for a few seconds before grinning. "Seriously, Al, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you. Now I have to get going or I'm going to be late."

After he hung up his phone Edward trotted through his home as he grabbed his black duster and pulled it on before grabbing his keys and heading to his kitchen. The gleaming black marble countertops greeted him as he turned on the lights, going to his coffeepot to frown at the dials impatiently. He was thinking he needed a new one, his own was ancient, and seemed to have once again spluttered and died halfway through making a full pot.

Grabbing a thermos down Edward filled it with what coffee there was, and made a mental note to see if he couldn't somehow put 'coffeepot' in his annual budget and get it covered for free. In his mind, the budget was there for providing funds that would keep him doing his job as it needed to be done. Therefore shouldn't his morning coffee that kept him so awake and so damn jolly at work be something that was necessary to doing a good job? He thought so.

While sipping on the coffee he grabbed himself a slice of bread that he munched on as he made his way towards the side door in his home that would exit into his garage. He rarely ever used the front door, only in case of guests. Of which he had many, and was surprised that so far he hadn't been bothered this morning. It was probably due to the fact he had relocked his gates last night. He should do that more often.

As he entered his garage he got in without spilling his coffee all over himself, and backed out of his garage and driveway. Even backing out through the gates he had to unlock, back out through, relock, and then finally back out onto the street. He stopped the car however once he'd gotten it onto the road, and got out again.

This time he walked over to the locked mail box underneath the wooden embossed plaque that read:

'Glass Rose Chateau

E. Elric'

Alphonse didn't live with him, as was obvious by the sign. Though sometimes Edward still managed to receive his brother's mail. Mail he stacked behind his own as he flipped through the thick envelopes to see who'd sent him things now. As he walked back to his car he made a mental note to stop by Al's flat in the city and drop off his brother's mail.

Edward cast one last look at the plaque before returning to his car. He tossed the mail onto the backseat and began to drive towards the busier district of London, about a half an hour away.

He got to Parliament in enough time, and pulled his car past the armed guards that waved him through so he could go park in a secure lot.

Grabbing his coffee, he downed what was left before getting out and making his way past the building that rested so imposingly on the skyline. But it was a beautiful specimen of architecture. It never failed to make him smile when he looked at it. As usual, the interviews would not be conducted inside, but outside on the College Green. So Edward made his way there, most everyone it seemed was present, or on their way to being so as they chugged coffee.

Stepping out onto the grass he made his way towards where he could see his boss and friend of many years talking to some of the other lesser advisors.

"Mister Elric!"

Edward smiled as his assistant hurried over to him. "Morning Thomas."

Thomas Brown was an aspiring politician. He was a rather animated person for being so short and squat. Yes, he was even shorter than Edward. He had red hair that never seemed to lay flat, and walked with a swinging gait that caused his arms to move in odd looking ways. He rather looked possessed at times. But then he w_as _a politician. And weren't all politicians possessed?

"Good morning, sir." He smiled and handed Edward a stack of papers clipped together. "These just need your last minute look through."

Edward took them, passing off the empty coffee thermos he had taken with him into Thomas's waiting hands. "Black, no sugar today, but up the cream." He requested, "that'll be all."

"Edward!" The Prime Minister greeted the blond man jovially upon spotting him standing not too far away.

Edward looked up from the papers, and smiled. "Charles." He greeted back, walking over to shake the man's hand quickly before exchanging their version of the 'man hug'. He nodded to the other advisors. "Morning guys."

"Morning, sir." They chorused with nods before turning back to what they needed to do.

Charles Kain was a tall man, with a head of thick gray hair and a distinguished moustache. His complexion was very pale, and with his slim build it was often thought he suffered of a long term illness. However no one except those who knew him would have ever believed that he was pale and thin because he rarely got out of the office. The stress of the war had robbed him of his ability to eat as he should. Everyone else just believed he was omnipotent and sick. "I need to talk with you in private for a moment. I know there won't be much of an opportunity to after the press conference. I have to go have tea with some of the admirals."

"Sounds thrilling." Edward grinned, and followed Charles over to a quiet area. The blond lifted a hand to wave over some of the guards who would keep them from being bothered. "So what's going on? Do not tell me that I was wrong about clause eighteen on the armistice agreement, I double checked my sources."

Charles shook his head, "no. That went through without a hitch, and thank you for that. It's something else." And he glanced around before continuing. "There's a rumor going around that Raymond broke out of prison and was running around Surrey last night looking for you."

Edward frowned, something inside of him twisting darkly. "We'd have heard if he'd escaped. I'll have Thomas call the prison. It's probably just some people overreacting to their liquor."

"Edward-"

Edward shook his head, "I know what you'd say. But don't. It's complicated, and I'd rather try and leave it alone."

Charles nodded, "well, have Brown call."

"I will." Edward said, and looked back down at the papers, finishing his glance through the last few pages. "And these all seem fine. Just check with me before you answer any questions that weren't already agreed to."

"I know the drill." Charles smirked, and patted Edward's shoulder. "Though I still don't know what I did without you."

"You were less popular." Edward smirked back and gave the man a short wave. "I'll see you in five minutes. And nice tie."

"Thank you, I was a bit concerned the color didn't match."

Edward turned and walked away with a bit of a laugh. "George." He summoned as he walked past the guards, one of them falling in step with him. Yet he didn't speak as he made his way over to where Thomas finally located him. He took his coffee with a smile and a word of thanks. "George, I want you to take Thomas up to a private line. Thomas, I need you to call the IK-10 prison and check in on Raymond's incarceration status."

"Yes, sir." They both replied quickly, and hurried away.

He watched as they left, before turning and going to take his place nearby the prime minister as the press began to take their positions in the chairs set out on the grass, and the photographers and camera men off to the sides and in the front kneeling down on the grass. It was time to have some more good fun.

Discreetly he positioned himself so that Charles could see his left hand out of the corner of his eye. The advisors under him gathered to his right side out of the way. They needed to let Charles have a good view of Edward, should the blond move his hand at all to signal whether or not to answer any spur of the moment spontaneous questions. Yes indeed… time to let the fun begin. How he hated politics.


	3. Chapter 3

GreedxEd: Roy will have his hands full with convincing Ed of something. Hmm... think it's too late to make the sky pink and have flying unicorns?

anmb: Yay, a really needed a calendar. You have no idea.

Fullmetal Embers: Yeah, irony has a way of coming to bite you in the ass sometimes.

Paon: I can't kill 'em off again? How about throwing Ed off a cliff? XD

Eli: It's because Ed has power, and he uses it. It's sexy.

Smitti: Okay, I won't make you beg. But I'm glad you love it so far... don't make me beg for you not to become a lurker?

Shikon: Yes, they would have found Roy as being dead by now. And Raymond is Roy's alter.

roy-rules: That is a very nice vow, I like the sound of it. I understand about the finals though. Just don't leave me for a month or something XD. And I'm glad you're loving the stories.

SomethingofImportance: I hope it is fun to read. And thanks... I like being able to update like this, for some reason I get a kick out of it.

Addict: Life is ironic I find.

ferret: Yay, I'm glad to see you back again. I shall squish you in a hug and call you Fred.

mrawgirl: Darn, that's pretty confused. How are you managing to survive?

Eli: Yes you would like to see Roy in that field wouldn't you. And yes... Raymond, he's quite the pill.

Emaleya: Well since I have your permission... Indiana Jones and the Fullmetal Cirque du Soleil.

Bar-Ohki: Yes indeedy he does.

Cheru: Raymond will get a proper introduction later, I don't want to release tons of future plot, but I can say right now that he is Roy's alter in that world.

Phoenix: Is that your birthday?

Shawn: I'm just glad you're back for right now. You did spell them right, and no they are not real. I made them up. Thanks a bunch, and I hope my laptop gets fixed soon too.

* * *

Today sure felt long. But I finally managed to find time to borrow my mother's laptop again to get this up.

Now I must get back to working on the laundry. Study for some finals, and so on... speaking of which, good luck to everyone on their final exams. I know a lot of you are studying for them as well right now. Go get those A's!

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Three

Roy discovered that the crowds of people rushing around were best to conceal himself in. Hardly anyone seemed to see him, and so he was able to make his way to Parliament without anyone getting upset with him. Upon reaching the building that was undeniably the correct one, he noticed the large number of armed guards, as well as the intimidating structure that the Parliament building was. All those guards… and some of them even had dogs.

He had gotten this far. He couldn't turn back now, Edward was close.

Carefully he edged his way to the front of a group of people who seemed to be waiting to get a glimpse of those coming out of the press conference. He kept his head down, trying to seem as small and inconspicuous as possible. Something that wasn't too hard when you were practically a wraith. He hadn't dressed in layers, and so he was noticeably thin. He settled in to wait it out, determined to find Edward.

At least it wasn't raining.

However a few minutes later he realized that the group of people he was standing with weren't all here to wait outside. They were going on a tour. And that gave him an idea.

So it was that Roy snuck with them, past the guards and most of the way with the group of tourists until he decided to put his stealth training back into practice. If he'd just heard the guide correctly, there was a press conference going on around the building and to the left.

Quickly looking around, Roy darted away.

No matter what, he had to get to Edward. He needed to find the blond again, there was so much going on that he didn't understand. He could only hope Edward had answers.

**College Green**

Edward stepped forward to nod quickly at Charles as the press conference ended and he stepped away from the podium. The camera bulbs were flashing, and smoke spurting up from the older models. The press got noisy, as usual, as the prime minister stopped talking. Their vocalizations making on ear deaf while the other cringed from their noise.

"I think that went rather well." Charles sighed, and nodded to the other advisors. "Good work, all of you."

Edward shrugged a bit. "Don't speak until you read tomorrows headlines."

Charles nodded with a chuckle. "Practical as always, aren't you."

"It's why you keep me around." Edward said, and excused himself as Thomas came hurrying over to him. "What did IK-10 say?"

Charles listened in as well as Thomas puffed out his report through catching his breath. "He's still there, sir."

"See-" Edward began.

"-He's dead." Thomas finished quickly.

Edward was stunned to silence for a moment. He barely even appeared to breathe, much less blink or show emotion. "Dead? How?"

Charles frowned as well, "at least we know he didn't escape. Excuse me Edward, I have to be going. I'll call you sometime later."

Edward nodded, bidding him a brief goodbye before turning back to Thomas. "How?"

Thomas gave him a helpless look. "They have no idea. Apparently this morning he just suddenly dropped dead in his cell."

Well, that certainly took care of that rumor. He cast a dark look towards the ground before giving himself a hard mental slap. He should be glad that chapter of his life was closed completely. No more room to cause him any more confusion, or torment. After all, it had only been a face. Not the person he wanted to be behind that face. He needed to forget and not think anymore about it. It would be for the best.

"Sir?"

Edward jolted out of his silent reverie, and gave Thomas a thin lipped smile. "It's nothing. Thank you for your work today. I'll call you if I need you anytime later. Otherwise I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Have a good day Mister Elric." Thomas smiled back.

Edward nodded, and began to make his way across the green, not really noticing the guards coming to help escort him through the reporters. But he knew they were there, and as always he was thankful for them. They helped a lot with crowd control. Normally he gave them gifts every month or so just for doing a good job.

"So Edward…" a voice drawled lazily.

The guards stopped when Edward did, "ah, Fane." Edward greeted the Romanian ambassador without a smile. "What can I do for you?" It was more a question of habit, than one of intrigue.

Fane Banciu was a spindly sort of man, looking almost like a spider with his stout torso and thin limbs. His neck was thick, but his face narrow with sallow skin stretched over the high cheekbones. His only saving graces with the ladies seemed to be his uncanny ability to dance whatever the band struck up, and the thick waves of black hair with green eyes. Otherwise he had a reputation for being rather drab past the first date.

"Several things actually." Fane said with a stern face that did not look out of place on his hawk-like visage. "Starting with letting me have a meeting with Minister Kain."

"To discuss the embargo?" Edward guessed, having heard this plea already.

"Yes." Fane replied, getting to the point.

Edward shook his head. "Sorry Fane, I can't do that. You've already presented your country's case to the UN council. Instead of convincing England to lift the embargo, you got yourself embargoed by almost a dozen other countries. I'd say you have no case to present, or meeting to have, until your government takes steps against the human trafficking that's running rampant. Now I really must be on my way ambassador."

With that, Edward stepped around the irritated Romanian and continued on his way, the guards with him again. "Do not let me be stopped again. Make up an excuse." He requested quietly of them.

"Yes, sir." The two guards flanking him answered immediately.

It was then that Roy finally caught sight of Edward.

Roy froze in stunned silence for what seemed an eternity of slow motion as he laid eyes on Edward for the first time in almost two decades. He looked different… but yet it was unmistakable who it was. Even if he was older, his face showing no remnants of being the teenager he'd once known. Even if his braided blond hair was longer, but it still shown like sunlight. Even if he wore a black business suit that in Roy's opinion made him look irresistible to touch. It was still him. He was pulling on a black duster now that a man shorter than Ed had run up to give him, causing the blond to laugh and the other man to grin and dash away with a wave.

Watching Ed laugh was like a breath of fresh air.

As Edward began walking again, flanked by two guards and heading somewhere away from where Roy stood hiding, he knew he had to act. So he did the only thing he knew how to do to get the blond's attention fast, even if that meant getting the attention of the guards as well.

He dashed from hiding, at the same time calling out Edward's name urgently.

Edward stopped as if yanked to a halt at that voice. He whirled around just in time to see a man with black hair halfway to the ground from being tackled by three burly guards. He blinked. "Am I hallucinating?" He asked his guards in an off-handed way.

"Um… no sir." One replied.

"That's weird, who is he… how'd he get past the other guards?" The other wondered aloud.

Edward was with him. But that voice… Suddenly he took a jolting step forward as he quickly strode his way purposefully over the grass towards the commotion. "Enough!" Edward ordered as the guards continued to try and keep the dark-haired man down. "Stand him up."

"But sir, it's-!" One of them began.

"Now!" Edward snapped at them, ignoring the gathering crowd of curious people.

Roy couldn't help but smirk at Edward ordering the guards around. It seemed that his old Major had quite the bite to him when it came to snapping off orders. It made his treatment at the hands of these men worth it. And he scrambled to his feet with their help, though they kept a hold of him firmly. But he didn't notice… much. He had locked eyes with Edward the instant he could. Well, his one eye to Edward's two anyway. Those eyes hadn't changed at all… they were still a molten gold that seemed to sear straight through him. "I finally found you." He whispered quietly.

Edward's eyes widened a fraction as it felt like all the blood drained from him. He soon recovered as he took a step back. "Thomas!" Edward called out urgently, barely comprehending what he needed to say or do such was his shock. This… this couldn't be!

Thomas? Roy frowned, who was Thomas? And why was Thomas needed? "Edward, what's going on? Why do I keep getting accused of things and treated like this?" This was not going at all how he'd planned. But he had needed to see Edward again.

Edward listened to the questions with half an ear, stubbornly keeping his eyes away as internally turmoil and a helpless feeling of frustration took over. He was supposed to be dead! Why was this happening… He was supposed to have been able to move on. And now this. It was all he could do to keep standing there and not flee.

"Sir?" Thomas asked uncertainly as he approached, and gasped as he saw Roy standing there. "But… that's impossible! They confirmed he was dead!"

"Have them check again." Edward growled out as he rounded on his assistant.

Thomas shot his boss a wary look, not having seen Edward in this state for a long time. And it was not a fun thing to be nearby when Edward's temper exploded.

"Dead?" Roy repeated, looking away from the man who had brought Ed's coat to him, and back to Edward. "I can assure you I'm not dead. Damn it Edward why won't you look at me?!" What the hell was going on here? This was even weirder than when he'd arrived naked in the middle of a field nearby dairy cows.

By now, others were milling about, whispering and shooting angry looks at Roy. Several of them were insisting he be arrested immediately.

Edward shook his head. "I have nothing more to say to you." He said, suddenly angry. Raymond made it sound like this was all to do with him, but it wasn't! He turned to the guards purposefully. "Lock him up until we have photograph confirmation of death from the Siberian government. I doubt they'll be able to get it, as he's here."

Roy, in a feat of strength he didn't know he was still capable of, managed to get free one of his hands to catch Edward around the elbow as the blond turned quickly to walk away. "Stop this Edward!"

Edward wrenched his arm away angrily, and let one of the guards guide him away as the others in charge of restraining Roy attempted to do so again. "Don't touch me." And he turned to start walking again hurriedly.

"Fullmetal! Get back here until you fucking explain!" Roy snapped at the blond, suddenly angry as well. He was confused, tired, cold, hungry, and all he wanted were answers. He didn't understand why Edward was doing this… and it hurt. It was hard to even think about this properly, he was acting purely on desperate instinct right now.

"Shut it you!" One of the guards restraining Roy growled as they began to drag him off.

Edward however, had stopped cold, the blood seeming to drain from him again even as his heart raced. He suddenly whipped around again, staring at the man in shock. "Wait!" He ordered the guards in a rushed shout, and they desisted, albeit with reluctance.

Roy looked back at Edward as the blond slowly walked back over. A small ember of hope flared to life inside of him as he gazed into those golden eyes that seemed to be looking at him as if in a new light. "Now will you give me some answers? I thought we were past the stage where you'd have jumped at the chance to make my life hell."

Edward however, wasn't listening. "What did you call me?" He asked in a stunned voice. It couldn't really be _him_, could it? It was almost too much to take in that it was possible. But then in his past a lot of seemingly impossible things had happened.

Roy frowned at the question. He hadn't thought he'd said anything insulting… he'd only called him by his name. Which granted, he hadn't often done. "Edward?"

Ed shook his head. "No, just then. What did you call me?" He pressed, aware but consciously oblivious to the confused looking crowd of people around them.

"Fullmetal." Roy replied, as if it should have been obvious. He had definitely called him by that a lot more than by his name.

Edward's eyes widened, "Roy…"

"Yeah." Roy frowned again. Who had Edward thought he was? Who did all these people think he was? He would have thought, and heartbreakingly so, that Edward had forgotten him. If not for the fact others seemed to know his face. "What's going on Ed?"

Edward suddenly snapped back to being able to think again as he gave a short laugh, and tried not to smile. All of a sudden he felt… light. It was the strangest feeling, this… liberation. Like he felt the urge to laugh, cry, and let it all sink in all at once. "I'm sorry, I'll explain, but not here." He told Roy, still trying to mask his happiness, and doing decently enough at it. He turned to the guards holding Roy still and who were looking very confused. "Release him."

"Are you sure Mister Elric?" One of them was brave enough to ask.

"This is the man who-"

Edward shook his head, holding a hand up for their silence. "No, it's not. I'll release a statement tomorrow, just like you're going to release Roy to me now."

"You understand, sir," another said, "that you'd take full responsibility for anything he does."

"Of course I know that." Edward rolled his eyes, "now release him if you don't want an official reprimand. I'll certainly be glad to arrange one for you."

Roy listened and watched the exchanges, feeling grateful and a bit smug of how Edward was handling the guards. It may not have been evident to anyone who didn't know Edward well, but he could see that Edward was suddenly happy. There was an absence of a strange shadow that had seemed to hang over the blond when they'd first seen each other again. But this was also not the happiness Edward had laughed with earlier. This was something more...

And then he felt the hands holding him back release him, only to give Edward a startled look as the blonde gripped his elbow lightly. "Edward?" He questioned with a tilt of his head and a curious frown as he looked down at the man.

Edward gave him a reassuring look. "Come with me, we'll talk. It's best if you don't leave my side for right now." He said as he looked for the two guards who had been escorting him. Spotting them, he waved them over. "Keep everyone away, and then find Thomas." He instructed them as he began walking while still keeping a gentle hold on Roy's elbow.

The others of the crowd that had gathered, politicians and press alike, parted with whispers and confused looks. It was obvious to all that something was going on here that they were not privy of knowing about yet. And the press were not the only ones curious to get their hands on the story. But none were daring enough to try stopping Edward when he was flanked by two guards who had orders to keep them away.

Yet one of the crowd was more contemplative than the others, and with a calculating frown Fane Banciu vowed to find some way to turn this event to his advantage against that damn Edward Elric. Abruptly he spun on his heel and stalked away.

Roy kept pace beside him, hardly able to keep his eyes off of the suddenly energetic Edward who was leading him along with an air of importance. It was clear that Edward knew exactly what he was doing, what he wanted, and how he needed to go about getting it. It made him smile. But everything had been happening in such a rush… he could barely let any of it sink in. He hoped that it wouldn't take Edward long to get them somewhere they could talk. He needed a moment to take all of this in.

"-you may leave." Edward finished, and the guards left as they passed into the secure parking lot. Edward then looked up at Roy to see the man looking at him as if hypnotized. "Do I really look so different?" He asked with a bit of hesitance.

Roy blinked as his mindless gazing at Edward was broken, and stopped, causing Edward to release him and turn around to face him. "Edward, what's going on?" He asked, and looked around. They appeared to be alone.

Edward looked around as well. "Not here. I'll explain, but let's get in the car first." He said, and looked at Roy, still not quite believing he was here. The only reason he knew he'd been able to keep from staring at the man as they walked here was because he'd been busy tossing off instructions. "I have questions for you as well."

"I'm not sure what help I'll be… I barely understand anything right now myself." Roy said, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair.

"You might be surprised." Edward replied wryly, and bit his lip in a worried gesture. "Are you hurt at all?"

Roy shook his head, "just a bit sore. Those guards can really tackle a guy."

That earned a smile from Edward, "I saw. You had it coming though. Which I'll explain, but let's get to my car. This way."

Roy certainly did hope there would be explanations coming his way, and he walked beside Edward. This time, he was not led, but he almost wished Edward were holding him by his arm again. The whole past twenty minutes or so had been a whirlwind event that he barely had felt engaged in. All of his attention had been focused on Edward and trying to get the blond to talk to him. He'd had no care for anyone else that had been there.

Edward was nearly beside himself trying to decide how he should feel, what he should do when he knew what to feel, what to say… So he figured it was best to just let himself drop his guard and act on instinct as soon as they were sure to be alone. But he couldn't here, not when he knew at any moment someone else could enter the parking lot. So he quickly led them to his car, and they got in.

"Will you tell me now what's going on?" Roy asked as Edward started the engine.

Edward chanced a look over at him as he pulled out of the lot, and quickly sped onto the road past anyone standing at the sidewalk trying to get a glimpse of them. He gunned the car, wanting to get away from the area before the press got any ideas about following him. "Before I do, I'd like to know how you ended up here. It could answer a few questions for me that I've been wondering about."

Roy frowned at him, "what questions are these?"


	4. Chapter 4

For the sake of time, I shall be replying to everyone's reviews via the system. I don't have much time, but I wanted to get this up in the limited internet access I was able to get. Yes, my laptop is still out of order. Which is very frustrating. Bah.

Oh, and I remembered this morning that someone wanted my hot chocolate recipe. The one Roy sort of made in Shifting, I didn't walk it through step by step in the story. I'll get that all typed up and put on my profile tomorrow provided I get some internet access, which I am hoping I should.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Four

Edward's hands held the steering wheel a bit tighter. Oh he had so many questions. And oh how he'd missed Roy. The other man had no idea how hard the past few years had been because of his absence. But he needed to get the most pressing questions out of the way now, before he could ask any others. After all, he still needed to explain a great deal to Roy. "If you tell me when you got here, that could explain a few things fairly fast."

"I'm not sure of the exact time." Roy informed him with a bit of reluctance. It bothered him that he didn't know exactly how long he'd been laying out there. "But I woke up last night around dusk. I was in the middle of some field in Surrey."

"Surrey? Really?" Edward smiled faintly. "That was lucky."

"If you say so." Roy rolled his eyes. "When I woke up I was naked, with a bunch of dairy cows looking on. I had to steal clothes and money to get me to a store where I could buy clothes that fit. But the shopkeeper called the police on me because apparently I'm a traitor. She told me to stay away from you when I asked if she knew you. I knew you were around in England somewhere-"

"Wait, what?" Edward cut him off. "You knew I was here? How?"

"Didn't you tell me last time you were in Central? Before you left again?" Roy questioned with a frown.

Edward gave him a perplexed look. "No."

"But then how is it possible I would know that?" Roy pointed out logically.

"I don't know." Edward admitted quietly, looking very thoughtful about the whole thing. "You said when you woke up here you were naked?"

"Unfortunately." Roy grumbled to the side window as he looked out at the buildings flashing by. "It was cold out there. I even lost my eye patch." And even more unfortunately had been the fact that the person he would have liked to warm him up had not been present.

Edward nodded slowly, and paused for a moment before saying: "This is kind of personal, but did you die? Back in Central?"

Roy looked over at him feeling sad and a bit reluctant to tell him. But it must be important if Edward were asking. "I'm not sure. I don't remember dying… but I was very sick. I hid it from everyone. But-" Roy looked away so he could roll up the sleeve of his jacket and shirt to show Edward his arm, "-as you can see I probably was dying. I guess it started maybe a month ago."

Edward tore his eyes from the arm that had once been toned with muscle and strong, but now was thin and fragile looking. Almost like the arm belonged to a child whose skin was stretched over sharp objects that resembled bones. He looked back up at Roy, for the first time really seeming to notice that the man's face was not as full as he remembered. Even the face was a bit sunken, but had he not been shown the arm, he never would have noticed the change. "A month ago? Just how bad is it?"

"Was. I don't think I'm sick anymore." Roy said hollowly as he fixed his sleeves so that his arm was hidden again. Only his hands showed, and they too were slimmer than they had been. But not as noticeable. "So I guess it's possible that I did die." He cast a dark look out the window. "That's a fun thought. But… if it brought me back to you, I suppose dying wasn't so bad. If I did indeed die."

Edward's eyes widened a bit, "you wanted to see me?"

"Why the hell do you think I just did everything I did to get you to talk to me?" Roy pointed out. "I never wanted to see you leave." He finished quietly.

Edward bit the inside of his lip as he tried to settle the conflict inside of him. There was just no way though… no way that he could mean it like that. No way that even if he did, it could be allowed to happen. No way that his damned past could leave him alone. "Well, I'll get everything settled so that you don't have to be sent away."

Roy nodded in acceptance. "Anyway, I suppose it's also a plus that I'm not sick anymore. I lost a lot of weight. It became harder nearer the… end, to hide it. I lost a lot more blood each time, and I was fainting more."

"I'm sorry." Edward whispered softly. "You should have told someone though. Maybe it could have saved you."

Roy shrugged, "there was always that possibility. But deep down, I didn't want to be saved."

"Why-"

"I'd rather you not ask." Roy said quietly. There were just some darker moments of life, either past or present, that deserved to stay in the dark. "So why did you want to know anyway?"

Edward slowed the car down so he could make a turn. "Because if you died back in Central, it would explain why you ended up here naked. And possibly why you knew you were in a place you could find me. It's plausible that when you died, you were reborn here to find me. If you wanted to see me again, that would make sense. And you would have been given the knowledge by the Gate that I was findable wherever it left you."

"I guess in a way that makes sense." Roy admitted, "but truthfully I don't care how. I'm just glad I found you before they threw me in jail or something before I could find you."

"Even if they had thrown you in jail, I would have had to go see you anyway to confirm the identity." Edward said with a heavy sigh. "And I probably would have just looked and left. You wouldn't have had a chance to speak to me. So I suppose it's a good thing you still seem to be able to sneak around places."

"Training like we've had never leaves us." Roy said absently. "Now will you tell me what's going on?"

Edward glanced at him sideways, and stopped the car along the side of the road. "Yes. Let's go inside." He said, reaching over to grab Al's mail.

Roy looked out the window to where an apartment building was. "You live here?"

"No." Edward said as he shut off the engine. "Al lives here. We can talk inside, he's not there."

"Where is he?" Roy asked as they got out of the car, shutting the doors.

"Toronto." Edward said as he walked over to Roy's side. "He'll be there for a few months. He's writing a piece on some engineering development at a lab there. He works for a local newspaper here."

"How is it you of all people ended up in a government job?" Roy asked as they walked towards the building together.

Edward nodded to the door attendant, who gave Roy a dark look as he passed by. "Just ignore the looks you get until tomorrow." Edward whispered to him.

"What looks?" Roy joked, still feeling daggers being glared at him.

Edward touched his elbow lightly in a reassuring gesture. "Back to my job… I never actually wanted the position. But I took over for my father after his death. He had left business unfinished there, and I opted to tie up the loose ends. However I ended up doing such a good job, that I was asked to stay on."

"And you did, why?"

"I got attached… involved. And then one day I just stopped dreading going to work." Edward said lightly as he ushered them into an elevator. "And it was familiar to me. It reminded me of how things used to be before I left Amestris. Before I left the military there. I still work there for those reasons, but I do hate the politics."

Roy smirked, that sounded like the Edward he knew. "Are you happy there?"

Edward smiled faintly, "I suppose. But I get lonely a lot of times. For years only Al was around to really talk to. With everyone else I have to watch what I say lest they discover the truth about my past and where I came from. But Al is not always in town."

"I'm here now." Roy said gently. "You don't have to watch what you say around me."

Edward looked over at him, and smiled. "That's true. I am glad to see you again. I'm glad it's you. I've missed you, you know. I've even missed our silly fights."

"They weren't that silly." Roy defended as he smiled back.

Edward glanced his way, and gave a short laugh.

The elevator doors opened, and Edward led the way to Alphonse's apartment which he opened with a key on his key ring. They both had keys to each others places. Just in case something came up and they needed to get access right away. He went in first, flicking on the lights and holding the door open until Roy was inside.

Roy walked in, looking around with interest as Edward locked them in. "Is your brother quite sane these days?" He asked as he stared around at the strange abstract paintings lining the walls of the interior.

Edward laughed, "you tell me. You're a nut yourself trying to run up to me when royal guards are present."

"Yeah, I think it's time you explain all of this." Roy said as he walked over to one black leather couch. He eyed it with interest for a moment, gave a half shrug, and sat down.

Finally able to relax, Roy barely even looked at the rest of the apartment. His eyes were fixed solely on the blond. It had been so long since he'd seen him. So long since he'd heard Edward's voice, or seen him smile. It felt almost surreal. It had been a bit of a struggle to find him again, and now he knew he never wanted to lose sight of him.

Edward took off his black duster, as well as the jacket of his business suit, and laid them on a counter in the kitchen. He knew Roy was watching him, even before he looked up to see the man's black eyes resting on him. It was getting a bit difficult to breathe the longer he gazed into those eyes, and he forced himself to look away abruptly.

Roy's eyes flickered momentarily in concern. He couldn't help but feel that something was bothering Edward. That strange shadow seemed to be back again, and it worried him. Especially when it happened when Edward seemed to look at him for too long.

Edward took a deep breath, steeling himself as he walked over to take a seat next to Roy. He leaned back into the cushions, and folded his hands in front of him as he rested his head back. "This all started maybe six years ago." He began, staring up at the ceiling distantly, as if physically separated from where he was as he looked back.

Roy settled in to listen, his eyes never leaving Edward.

"Raymond was a British ambassador to Italy. We were introduced at a dignitary conference one evening. It was…" Edward paused here, feeling something twist inside of him as he recalled the evening. "It was a shock."

Roy frowned a bit, trying to figure out just why Edward seemed so troubled.

"This world is like a reflection of our world." He explained, "the people look the same. So there's someone here who looks like Hawkeye. She's a doctor down in Sudan right now, but that's beside the point. Raymond was your reflection. But in looks only. Though he did have both of his eyes."

That did explain some things, Roy could admit.

"Raymond and I were asked to work together on a confidential project that could have substantially tipped the balance of power in the war. We became close." Edward paused as he fought for control of his emotions again. This was the first time he'd ever talked about it to anyone. Even Al. He wouldn't even be telling Roy if it didn't concern him so gravely. "A year passed, and we were getting ready to present our findings to Minister Kain. The morning of, I woke up and discovered that Raymond was gone. Along with everything we'd worked on together. At first I thought something had happened to him, something other than the fact he'd betrayed the country he was supposed to be working for. As it turned out, Raymond had been in cahoots with the enemy long before I had even met him. He nearly destroyed my career, my reputation, everything. He nearly destroyed the country itself. Only public outcry of sympathy for me kept me from being burned at the stake, to put it figuratively. When Raymond was caught, he confessed to everything in order to avoid having a guillotine rolled in. It was only then that my name was officially cleared from any wrong doing. I was given a medal, and a title. Both of which I ended up giving right back. I didn't want their buy off for having doubted me."

"That explains why people are so mad at seeing me." Roy felt a dead weight of enlightenment sink into him. He was starting to think he was lucky he hadn't been shot at.

"Yes." Edward agreed. "And why when I thought you were him, because you two do look alike, I was so upset. I never wanted to see him again. In the end he caused me nothing but suffering."

Roy felt a surge of sympathy for the younger man. "I am sorry my face has caused you so much pain. Is this why you can't look at me for too long?" He asked quietly, feeling rather subdued all of a sudden. It made him angry, and yet sad all at the same time, that of all people, Edward might have trouble looking at him.

Edward brought his head forward, and looked over to meet Roy's questioning eyes. "It's getting easier for me to look at you." He replied softly. "Just understand I need time to adjust. However I must thank you."

"Why?"

"It was my loyalty to you, and not your face, that kept me from going insane." Edward said, and gave Roy a tentative smile. "Whether you knew it or not, I trusted you. You were someone I could always go to, I knew that. Raymond wasn't that… he wasn't you. Even if he looked like you. And I realized that too late to avoid being hurt. But soon enough to avoid being broken completely."

Roy felt himself melt at the words, and he reached out to touch Edward's hand lightly. "I am sorry you were hurt." But he had to wonder just how much. To him, and perhaps this was just his mind becoming overactive on him, but it sounded like Edward had been hurt more than he was letting on. Hence the shadow that seemed to rest over him whenever he thought about it. "Would it help if I grew my hair out and got a very dark tan? I'd look different." He offered with a teasing smile as he took his hand away.

Edward blinked at him, and then burst out laughing. He felt considerably better as he smiled at Roy once his laughter had abated. Yes, this was the Roy he had been missing. The one he'd always been hoping to see again. Even if only to allow himself to finally heal. He believed that it just might be possible, and he hadn't believed that before. First, he had to get over looking at him. Though he wasn't sure that Roy doing something that drastic would help. "No, you're fine as you are." He assured the man. "But thank you. I appreciate the offer."

Roy smiled, glad that he had made Edward laugh again. It was the most amazing feeling to see Edward laughing and happy. It was silly in a way, but it was true. And how silly it may be didn't matter to him. "Thank you Edward, for trusting me."

Edward smiled back, "no. Thank you." He said, and looked away with the smile still there. "Anyway, with you here now, Raymond is dead. That makes it a lot easier in some ways. But leaves us with the problem of ironing out an identity for you."

"So we have to recreate my past up until now, right?" Roy guessed.

Edward nodded, "we have work to do. A lot of work to do if we'll be ready for tomorrow. But it's work I can't do here."

Roy frowned, "how much work could giving me a generic background be?"

Edward grinned, and gave a chuckle that Roy was sure boded bad news for him. "Roy Mustang," he said, standing up and offering down a hand. "I am Edward Elric, head advisor to the prime minister of Britain. Which means that I am in the public spotlight, as well as the royal one. You will need to learn quite a bit, and not just memorize your generic background. I have a lot to teach you, and time is short."

Roy grasped the hand, even as he gave Edward a reproachful look. "I just died less than twenty-four hours ago." He said, not even bringing up the idea that he might not want to stay here. But neither did Edward ask. It seemed that they both understood Roy wanted to stay, even if the sentiment was never spoken aloud.

"No rest for the weary." Edward taunted.

Roy rolled his eyes as he stood, and smiled down at Edward, giving the hand he still held a gentle squeeze. "Can I at least get something to eat? I haven't eaten anything at all since coming here and I'm starving. Quite literally in case you've forgotten I'm practically a sack of bones under these clothes."

Edward nodded, "I'll make food while we brainstorm a good past for you. And Roy, it's essential that you learn it and learn it well. One slip up, and there could be major consequences. The things I'll be teaching you, you can't forget. Alphonse has gone through the same education as I'm going to give you."

"Then let's begin, but I seriously need food." Roy reminded the blond, knowing that he should be safe with getting food as long as the black hole didn't consume it all before he could get a single bite.

"I agree, we'll need to fatten you back up." Edward smirked at him.

"I was never fat!" Roy protested as he followed after Edward, curious to see where the blond lived.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I know a lot of people don't have power due to snowstorms and such. I myself lost power yesterday, in addition to my laptop still not working. I was doomed yesterday in trying to update. I hope the people out of power get it back soon! I miss you all! Come back soon and let me know you're all okay.

To the people who are still in possession of electricity:

GreedxEd: Fat Roy is a fun Roy. And that is a possibility... but I'm not saying anything.

Shawn: Circa has to do with dates of time. Such as 'at' 'in' 'around' a certain date, in this case a year.

roy-rules: They shall be fun, and thank you. I am researching quite a bit on some things to try and make most of it historically accurate. I can't tell you how many things I've looked up just to be sure I had more than three sources to go on. And I'm glad to hear you're enjoying their interactions.

Addict: Why thank you. -takes a bow-

B.D.: I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks. Either I've lost my memory again... or you were lurking. Shall we go with the former? And thank you for the high praise.

Deanna: Su-ure you aren't lurking. I know how the bad internet thing is, trust me. Good luck with yours.

Shikon: Oh just wait until Riza shows up. No, the two Kain's aren't the same, I was just playing with the name. I like it. And the Red thing is my little merging of RoyEd... Red. Saves me space in my summary as opposed to listing up all the possible combinations.

E: I think you might have to do conversions with some of it... but I'm going to assume you're good at math. And isn't a guitarist rock star Roy a great image? XD

mrawgirl: The system on the site that most people reply to reviews with. I apparently think I'm special though, so I rarely use it.

Phoenix: Another 85 pounds and there will be more of him to love.

Luna: Aww thanks! I'm really glad to hear that. And I'm glad you finally saw I updated.

* * *

So I will get that hot chocolate recipe up on my profile. If you want to try it just check back until it shows up, as I may not have it updated yet. You need a few ingredients, and it makes a _lot._ So just be forewarned of that. But I love how it turns out.

Now off I go to get Ultimatum ready to be updated...

* * *

Chapter Five

Roy stared out the window as the green pastures and hills rolled by. The majority of the homes were surrounded by cypress, making it hard to see past the natural green fence and to the houses that lay beyond. The rain earlier was making the ground misty, and fog drifted a few feet off the ground. What houses he could see looked old, but grand even in their age. This place had a mesmerizing quality about it, a quality that sucked you in and made your mind feel at peace.

"It's pretty, isn't it." Edward said softly as he drove.

"Very." Roy agreed quietly, almost like speaking louder would shatter the tranquility. "How long have you lived out here?"

"Almost seventeen years now. Before I moved out here I lived with Al in that apartment." Edward replied, and turned off onto a narrower road. "Al had the option of moving with me, but he was happy in the city. And his job was within walking distance."

"Why did you move? The scenery?" Roy asked as he watched a flock of sheep graze in a field closed off by a stone fence.

"It was a bonus." Edward said, not exactly sad about the added bonus. "I was actually given the home."

"By who?"

"Charles Kain. He's the prime minister here, and my boss. I'm sure you'll meet him soon." Edward said and slowed down the car so he could pull up to the iron gates of his chateau. "I've got to go unlock the gates, hold on."

Roy waited with interest as he watched the blond man fiddle with the locks and heave the gates open on his own. It was actually a great view to behold, those gates looked heavy, and Edward's muscles were rippling as they messed with the gates. Not wanting to be caught staring at Edward's ass, perfect though it was, he looked to the brick wall that enclosed the front half of the property. Ivy ran up along it, and clung around a wooden plaque. "Glass Rose Chateau?"

Edward, who had gotten back in, drove the car forward through the gates. "I didn't name it. But I'll show you why it's named that when we have some time to go for a ride. Definitely not today."

Roy was about to reply, but fell silent on it as Edward got back out to lock the gates again. While he waited he studied the chateau.

It was only two stories tall, and actually not that big. It looked to be half the size that the other houses in the area were. Yet this one did not lack any beauty for its diminutive size in comparison to its neighbors. In the shadow of the overcast sky, the stone it was constructed from appeared dark beige with a pink glow. The windows were wide, and tall, and practically everywhere. The front door stretched nearly to the ceiling level of the first floor, with a heavy brass door handle. The driveway that led up to the door curved back around to where the main drive was, however another section also split off to a garage that was obviously an addition to the home. The drive itself appeared to be made from gold sand that was now a dull brown from being rained on. The lawn stretched like a green ocean only broken up by the dogwood and rowan trees.

"The chateau is small." Edward said as he got back in, noticing that Roy had been taking in the scenery of his home. "But what the home lacks in space, the yard makes up for. My land stretches a great distance. I actually have horses." And Edward grinned a bit, "and a llama. I don't have dairy cows though if that makes you feel better."

Roy turned to him with a grin. "You have a llama? What were you drinking when you bought one?"

"You want some?" Edward smirked back as he pulled up the drive and into his garage.

Roy chuckled as he got out of the car, shutting the door he kept his hands on it as he looked over the top at Edward who was just appearing. "Listen, Ed…" he met the golden eyes as they were turned on him, "I know you want me to stay close to you until you can make sure I won't be arrested. But what happens to me after that?"

Edward shut his door as well, and leaned up against it as he studied Roy thoughtfully. "What do you want to happen? This is your chance to have a new life, start over fresh."

"I honestly don't know." Roy replied, heaving a sigh. "I feel… out of place here. You're the only thing in my life here that feels stable so far. I still barely have a clue where I am." Which was an answer that was almost entirely truthful. He did know one thing he wanted to happen. But as much as he wanted it to happen, it was clear to him that it was not as simple as reaching out and taking it.

"You could stay with me." Edward suggested, barely thinking before the words left his mouth. But even in hindsight it was a good idea. His home would be safe for Roy, among other reasons. "I mean," he corrected quickly when Roy didn't respond immediately, "if you want to. Otherwise I can find you someplace in the city to stay."

It took him a moment, but Roy smiled. He hadn't actually expected to be asked to stay. Sure for the first night, but past that? He hadn't thought that Edward would feel comfortable with that. "I'd like to stay where I know I'd be safe for right now. But I don't want to cause you any problems because of… him."

Edward shot a dark look towards the ground. "I want to get over it. I need to get over it. He was never you, and you are not him. I can heal, I will heal, but I don't think I can do that if you stay away from me. The choice is yours."

"It's been six years, Edward." Roy reminded him gently. "Can you ever honestly say you might one day look me in the eyes and not be reminded of it?"

"No." Edward said, meeting Roy's eyes again. It was the truth, as far as he knew it. "But I don't want it to be like that. I was haunted by it to this day because I trust you that much. If it had been you who would have betrayed me like that, I'd be a lesser man than you see now. As it was just your reflection, your face, I can separate the two people. But it doesn't mean that right away it's easy for me. I don't know when I will be able to look at you and not remember. But I want to forget that someone who looked like you ever hurt me. I want to forget. It's not an issue of me not being strong enough to hold on to those memories, but some things are better forgotten."

"If I stay here," Roy began as he walked around the car at last to join Ed, "I want you to promise me something."

"And that would be?" Edward asked as he watched him.

"That in exchange for your help with giving me a place to stay and teaching me what I need to learn, that you'll allow me to try and help you forget Raymond. I want to erase him. He has no business haunting you when you look at me. He had no business looking like me, and then betraying you. I feel partly responsible, so please, let me help you forget him. So you can know _me_ again."

Edward didn't speak for a moment, and neither did his face give anything away. But his eyes shone at Roy's proposal of exchange. "Welcome to my home." He said simply, feeling part of the shadow and weight that had rested inside him begin to flicker in strength.

It was the sudden noise of traffic at the gate that distracted them both from each other. Outside by the locked gates, the press was beginning to congregate now with their vehicles, cameras, and reporters. The noise was meant to catch their attention, and catch it they did.

Edward gave them a withering look as he turned away from the entrance to his garage. "Sometimes I do hate the press. Aside from Al of course, but he gets it hard too. It's common knowledge we're related and so sometimes people think they can get information about me or the people I work with through him."

Roy followed Edward towards a side door after he'd glanced out at the congregating reporters. "Good thing you locked the gates."

Edward nodded as he let them inside. "It won't stop a few from trying to climb over the walls."

"And how do you handle that?" Roy asked as he stepped inside, finding himself in a wide hallway with a vaulted ceiling. Light came from gas lamps mounted to both sides of the walls that would not have looked out of place in a historic district of town. The flame was encased in black iron metalwork and orange tinted glass which had soot marks trailing up along it. The floor was some sort of pale wood that had been polished until it reflected the flame inside each of the lamps.

Edward smirked as he locked them in, "oh I don't. Nitro does." He explained off-handedly as he began taking off his jackets again as he walked down the hallway.

Roy followed after him curiously, while all the while still looking around. "Nitro?"

Edward nodded, "Nitro is my llama. He thinks he's a guard dog. I'm actually surprised you weren't accosted by him in the garage."

Roy was intrigued by that idea. "I want to see them get attacked by a llama. I'll bet that's special."

"Oh if they climb over you will." Edward smirked, and led them into the large foyer in the middle of the house. It was there he stopped. "Now, basic layout." He said, and pointed at a hall directly across from the one they'd just come from. "That hallway leads to the kitchen and dining room. The one we just came down leads to the garage, obviously, and the door that was on the left leads to the indoor gym I had installed. The one on the right has the pool. They were originally rooms for guests, or servants I think. But as I rarely have either, I remodeled."

"Who was that Thomas guy you were ordering around if he's not your servant?" Roy asked as he looked up at the crystal chandelier affixed to the second story ceiling. It appeared the second floor wrapped around, as the polished banister at the stairwell continued in a circular fashion giving the foyer a much larger feel than it actually was.

"Thomas Brown." Edward informed him as he walked to the coat closet to put away his duster, and then shut the door. "He's not my servant. He's my personal assistant at work. There's a difference."

"Did he know Raymond too?" Roy guessed as he looked around now at the paintings along the walls that depicted landscapes mostly, but nothing abstract at all.

"Yes." Edward replied with a huff of breath as he walked back over. "Thomas was one of the few people in government at the time who believed that I had nothing to do with Raymond's treason before he confessed. I trust him a great deal more than I trust a lot of other people in the government here."

"He looked like a decent enough guy, he didn't cower or anything when you snapped at him." Which coming from Roy, was fairly high praise of a man.

Edward nodded, "he's a bit like Al in that respect. He gets wary of what I might say or do, but he isn't afraid of me. Then again I've never tried to hurt him, or he probably would be afraid of me." He recalled with a wry smile. "Anyway," he pointed to the coat closet, "coat closet. You may use it as you wish, there's room enough in there to have another bedroom. The staircase leads to the bedrooms, the library, and my office. My room is up the stairs and two doors down. The library is the first door when you go up the stairs. My office is connected through the library, there's no door on the outside hallway. The other doors are all empty rooms, you can choose whichever one you like. I don't care. It may be a bit dusty, I haven't cleaned any of those rooms in a few months."

"And that door there?" Roy asked, nodding to the one beneath the raised stairwell. It was wide, and stretched up to where the stairwell connected with the wall.

Edward glanced over at it. "The ballroom, which I've never used. I don't host parties. But since we're mentioning other doors, you should know that through the kitchen is a trap door. It's on the far side of the island counter across from the door. There's a missing piece out of one of the tiles, it forms part of the handle to lift it up. It leads down into a tunnel that comes out near the back end of my property. I've never had to use it, but just in case something happens and you need to get out of the house you know how to escape."

"Escape?" Roy frowned at him. "Escape from what exactly?"

"You should know that I have enemies." Edward said with a bit of a sigh. "I doubt they'll ever do anything, but just in case."

"Is there ever a world where you _don't_ piss anyone off?" Roy said teasingly.

Edward smirked at him, "now where would be the fun in that? Anyway, that's the house. If you want to go choose a room, have a bath, whatever, go ahead. I'll go start cooking us some lunch."

Roy nodded, and looked up the stairs. "Okay. I'll be down to help shortly."

"Don't worry about that." Edward smiled at him, and laid his suit jacket on a nearby glass table before heading off to the kitchen. "Oh, and if the phone rings don't answer it!" He called back over his shoulder as he vanished down the hallway.

Roy was fine with that, he didn't exactly know of anyone who would be calling for him. So he turned and made his way up the gleaming mahogany staircase. The second floor was paneled with pale wood again, and it seemed the gas lamps were a common reoccurring theme in the home. The walkway was wide enough that it would have easily fit six people standing abreast, and he made his way down it in between looking at the black and white photographs of Edward. Edward and his llama, Nitro. Edward and what must have been his horses. Edward and Al. Edward and Al riding the horses, with Nitro just coming into the image.

He passed all the photos to look at them before he let himself into one of the spare bedrooms. The one nearest to Edward's room, as it would turn out. Of course, he didn't plan that. Or so he'd say.

The room was larger than his back home had been. The wooden flooring was now absent in the presence of the soft white carpeting that felt like stepping on pillows. There was a mahogany bedroom set of a dresser, bedside table, and wardrobe. The bed itself was made from the same wood, and had dark blue covers. To one corner there was a black cloth sofa with white throw pillows. The door on the right side of the room led to a bathroom that although dusty, looked promising with the white marble and silver fixtures. The room was dark though, and Roy ignored the lamp as he walked to the windows, throwing open the heavy dark blue curtains to let in the sunlight.

He looked around with a smile, he rather liked this room. Though he wondered what Edward's looked like. Now that certainly was a very bad thought for him to have… but he had it regardless of the effects it had on him.

Walking back to the bathroom he stripped from his clothes and ran the taps on the bath until he had hot water flowing into the marble tub. He took a short bath, even though it felt wonderful. He could soak at another time, for right now he was starving, and he really didn't like the idea of making Edward do all the cooking.

So he got out, dried off, and dressed again. Though this time he left his boots in the room.

He headed down the stairs, resisting the urge to slide down the banister. He'd save that for a later date when he had more strength and therefore balance. Once he was downstairs he went in search of the kitchen and Edward. He finally found the blond standing over a stove humming to himself while he stirred a pan of something and stared out the window.

Roy looked out the window as well to see more green yard and trees, but sleeping under the trees were several horses. Even from this distance they looked tall. "How many do you have?"

Edward turned to look at Roy with a smile before looking back out at them. "Sixteen. Seventeen once Camira gives birth. She's due in the next couple of weeks."

"And you just let them roam around your yard wherever?" Roy asked as he walked over.

"There's actually a fence, you just can't see it from this window." Edward explained. "It's high enough to keep them from coming over into the front where I'd worry about them getting in the way of any cars that might be driving up. Nitro is short enough that he can get past it though. I never worry about him and cars. I worry about the car and the person driving it… sometimes."

"Why do you have so many horses anyway?" Roy peered into the pan Edward was stirring to see what he knew to be a chicken curry simmering away merrily.

"They're all rescued horses." Edward replied as he stirred, taking a quick glance down to check the consistency before looking back out the window. "I call them Al's Reject Herd. He found them when he went to do some interview. The family in the next house over had moved out and left them there. No one knew, and it had been about two months since they'd left. The horses were in really bad shape, one, you'll see him I expect one day, he doesn't trust strangers easily so he may hide, but he has no hair left on a lot of his body. His skin was damaged that badly by disease from the buildup of waste in his stall. It's why they're not in a stable, they can't stand them anymore. So I let them roam free. They keep my yard mowed and fertilized, and I keep them healthy."

Roy had never been one for large animals, but he felt a pang of sadness for the horses for having being treated like that. And a healthy dose of anger against those who had done it. "How long have you had them?"

"Well," Edward tilted his head back in thought, "Camira was a month pregnant when I took them in, so almost eleven months now, give or take some weeks."

"And Nitro?"

"I bought him as a companion for some of the shyer ones." Edward explained, and turned off the heat under the pan of curry. "He's like a guard dog with them as well."

"How much money do you have?" Roy frowned as he helped Edward get down some plates.

Edward shrugged, "enough. I have enough that I can support myself and my animals, and upkeep the chateau for about the next hundred years. And that's if I spent my money trying to live like a king. Which I don't."

The two of them took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. According to Edward he rarely used the dining room as it was too large, and he was often the only one who ate meals here.

"What happened with you after I left?" Edward asked after a few silent moments, as he pushed his fork through the rice and chicken curry.

Roy smiled faintly as he stabbed a piece of chicken. "Besides getting sick?" He gave a short attempt of a laugh. "I won my way back up to being a Brigadier General again. I got my team back. And then one day the current Fuhrer died. The people elected that I should take over, and there was little resistance from others in the military. Those that did resist were faced with either Hawkeye's gun, or my flames."

Edward finished chewing his bite of food, and swallowed. "What ever happened to Winry, and Pinako?"

"Pinako I'm not sure about." Roy frowned as he thought back. "The last time I saw her was maybe four years ago. She was doing well. Winry on the other hand moved to Rush Valley. She stopped by every few months or so to visit with me. She married an old acquaintance of yours actually."

"Someone married that sadist?" Edward exclaimed with wide eyes.

Roy laughed, and nodded his head. "Indeed they did. I was at the wedding."

"Who? Which acquaintance?" Edward asked in rabid curiosity. Already pitying whoever it was.

"Russell Tringham." Roy said with a smile. "They are now the Tringham family with twin girls Becky and Anna. They own an automail shop in Rush Valley."

"No shit…" Edward gave a short laugh. "That jerk married Winry, huh? And got busy too… well, at least I don't have to worry about them."

Roy smiled, "no, they seemed like a happy couple to me. Anyone else you're curious about?"

"Izumi?" Edward asked after a moment of hesitation.

Roy looked down at his food, "she was not doing well last I saw her. But she's stubborn like you, she's hanging in there."

Edward nodded somberly, and quickly began to finish eating. "Well hurry up, get some meat back onto your bones. We have work to do."

Roy glowered at the blond, but made no refute against the remark about his weight. He knew that he did need to regain back his normal weight and strength. Now that he was no longer sick, he was able to do that. So he resumed eating, enjoying every bite and marveling that Edward could actually cook. A remark he thought best to not say for right now. At least not until they'd ironed out a new past for him.


	6. Chapter 6

B.D.: That does sound like you have quite the schedule ahead of you. I'm glad you found some time to read.

ferret: Now the llama song I do know. Though if you know a version of it with Roy and Ed, I'm all over it.

Shawn: No, I do. I don't know why, I think it's because I like the darker colors, and so my characters have to suffer. Just wait until I start liking pink... that'll be fun. And Al's girlfriend issue will be in future chapters, so I can't exactly divulge yet.

Bar-Ohki: Somehow a llama suits him as a guard dog replacement.

Phoenix: 80 huh? More of him to love. Yes alpacas are interesting buggers too... and they're warm.

GreedxEd: Maybe Al does... -says nothing- XD

Embers: I think Ed deserves pets as strange as he can sometimes be.

anmb: Oh I love ham! -pounces on it- I shall share it with Nitro.

Paon: Oh I wish it was snow. Just rain so far. I live in a place where the last time it snowed was maybe ten years ago, and it was around for all of three minutes.

Mary: I've always wanted my own llama, it's lucky you have a lot where you live. They're so cute.

Shikon: Al and his future love interest will show up soon enough. Until then my lips are partly sealed.

Deanna: Just don't get caught! And Edward teaching Roy to ride a horse shall be even more interesting. -snickers-

roy-rules: Oh you're going to try the hot chocolate? Yay! I hope you like it... but who doesn't like hot chocolate anyway?

DN-lover: Izumi was alive last Roy heard, but he doesn't know for sure whether or not she died. I hope your power stays up.

Twilight: I'm so pleased Nitro has another fan. And he hasn't even shown up yet.

E: Nitro is named after an explosive, Nitro is his nickname XD. You like Winry and Russell? I was trying to find something a bit more... fun.

Emaleya: Glad you're back now. And no, Roy still does not have another eye patch. I have no idea what sort of plot I'd do for an Indiana Jones/FMA story... but it'd be hilarious I'm sure.

Choas: Yes, he did have that. -gives you cookies-

SomethingOfImportance: You know you want a llama like that... or at least a plushie.

Ria: Ed is a good host... now that he actually has a home.

Koneko: Holy crap my favorite lurker. Okay, maybe not a full lurker... I'll believe that you didn't start reading until yesterday. Yes, lets let our issues have a play date and we'll run for it. I am so glad to see you enjoyed all the chapters, it makes me feel complete. Hehehe, I hope you try the hot chocolate. And like it, you'll have to let me know.

* * *

I am finally done with school officially for the semester! I think I shall party...

Good news is that I can finally finish writing my holiday special. It's just about half done... which means I have work to do. And then I have a whole list of other fics that need working on... including this one. Should be fun... though it would be more fun if my internet to my laptop was working. It really is annoying having to put things on pause until I can do some research before continuing to write.

I think I'll have time to update Fallen today as well, for those of you who read that. I kind of left you all at an evil cliffhanger.

Okay... I'm now really hungry and I have no idea why. So I think I shall go get some food... yes. And then come back to write some more and see if there are any fan fics out I want to read. I haven't had the chance with my wifi being weird. And maybe watch a few episodes of The Sentinel, that should keep me entertained. Yes... off I go.

Happy reading! Stay warm!

* * *

Chapter Six

Roy soon found himself sitting on an end of a rather squashy brown leather couch in the center of the cozy library. The room itself was large, and was jammed ceiling to floor with bookshelves. There were metal strips along both the floor and the wall that would allow the ladder to move about the room so the higher shelves could be accessed. The center of the library contained two couches, and three armchairs all gathered around a glass coffee table. A grand piano sat next to the windows. And what amazing windows they were. They formed the entire back wall, from floor to ceiling, and curved out just slightly over the ground below. Edward had informed him that that particular section of the library was supported underneath by stone pillars which surrounded the terrace leading off of the ballroom.

Sunlight was streaming through the windows, the last remains of the cloud cover abating for the present time. Though more lingered on the horizon, implying that the sunlight would not be around for much longer.

Roy basked on the couch in the sun, feeling very much like a cold blooded reptile in need of heat. He watched as Edward paced back and forth along the shelves, his automail foot clunking softly on the pale hardwood flooring. "Why do you have a pool?" He asked as he waited.

Edward tried not to mind the interruption to his concentration, and he pulled down another thick tome from a shelf. Eyeing the worn leather cover and the gilded lettering on the front he set it onto the stack he was toting around. "Because I wanted one. It helps me relax."

"Don't you sink?" Roy asked, the visual image of Edward sinking making him smile just a bit.

"It's not deep enough for me to sink." Edward explained as he walked over to where Roy was sitting, five thick books in his arms. "And no one aside from Al knows I have it either. No one but Al knows I have metal limbs. I'd like to keep it that way if you wouldn't mind."

"How did you build it then?"

"Killed the builders." Edward said airily as he dumped his load down onto the table before Roy. He glanced up, to meet Roy's look of disbelief, and smiled. "Al and I built it ourselves. We _are_ capable of that sort of thing."

"So what is it then… three feet deep?" Roy grinned wickedly at the blond as he sat down next to him.

Edward glared, and whacked Roy firmly in the chest. "I am not that short, bastard."

Roy chuckled, rubbing his chest with a smile. "Of course you aren't. You just might be able to come up to eye-level with me one of these days if we get you high heels."

"Oh ha-ha." Edward scoffed, and thrust a book into Roy's chest, ignoring the yelp. "Flip to the index and go to the section on Russia. Choose yourself a city you want to have come from, and I'll teach you about it myself after you've read the information on it in the book."

"Russia… why there? And where is it?" Roy asked as he did as he was told.

"Up north, and to the west of here. And you're going to come from Russia because of how you look, and the fact that I want you to come from Russia." Edward said calmly as he flipped through another book. He set it open to one page before reaching across the table to grab a notebook and a pen he'd set there earlier.

"Is it good that I'm going to come from Russia?" Roy questioned as he slid a finger down the index in search of 'Russia'.

"Yes and no." Edward shrugged, "it means we have to devise a valid excuse for you not knowing Russian anymore. I'm thinking… orphan, immigrant. Nice sad past. Should get you some sympathy and make our job a bit easier."

"You're just a bit evil." Roy noted as he flipped to the yellowed page of 269 to be greeted by a geographical map of Russia. Which was quite plainly, huge. "Fuck. You could fit ten Amestris's in there."

Edward looked over, snorted in amusement, and turned back to his note taking. "Eleven, actually. If you include the offshore islands. Now choose a city."

"This one." Roy said, pointing to one of the dots that was farther west. "St. Petersburg, it's the only one I can pronounce. I think that being able to pronounce where I'm from is a needed skill."

Edward snickered a bit, "the others aren't so hard to pronounce, but very well. We'll sink down to your intellectual level for this."

"I'd appreciate that." Roy glared over at him, but said nothing more as he found a section of information on the city and began to read.

Edward had just finished writing his last bit of information. Roy's new background profile currently read as:

'_Name: Roy Mustang_

_Age: Ancient_

_From: St. Petersburg, Russia_

_Childhood: Orphan immigrant'_

"Do you have any special skills besides being an ass and leading an army?" Edward asked as he clicked his pen in thought.

Roy peered over at the paper, his eyes narrowing as they flickered over his presumed age. "If I'm ancient, you're about two steps behind me, Fullmetal."

"That way it's easier to step on you as I descend." He replied calmly. "Skills? Anything? And 'thinks he's good in bed' is not a skill. Not unless you want to have been a whore in the red light districts up until now."

"What's a red light district?"

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"Somehow that doesn't make sense." Roy rolled his eyes. "And I actually am capable of things other than sex and fighting, I'll have you know."

"Intriguing, do tell me more." Edward smirked as he doodled an alchemy circle at the top of the paper he was writing everything on.

Roy felt like bopping the younger man over the head with his damn notepad. Or kissing that smirk off his face. However he fought against doing either of those. Instead, he'd rather show the impertinent blond a thing or two. "May I?" He asked, nodding towards where the piano sat gleaming black in the weak sunlight.

Edward looked over at it, then back at Roy. Slowly, a smile came onto his lips. "Yes."

Roy closed the book he had been reading, and thrust it back into Edward's chest as the blond had done to him. Getting up he ignored Ed's glower as he walked over to take a seat on the bench. Taking a moment, he brushed his fingers lightly over the polished ivory and black keys. He pressed a few down, getting the feel for the pressure he'd need for this one. The notes chimed clearly in the quiet library.

Edward watched while Roy tested out the keys, before laying his things on the table and pulling his legs up under him. Turning towards Roy he brought his arm up to rest his head on sideways as he watched. But as Roy began to strike the first melodious notes, he closed his eyes with a faint smile as he listened. The music washed over him, but blanketed him in a feeling of peace and warmth. He felt as if he could listen forever, and unrealistically he wished that Roy never would stop playing the magic he was bringing out through the piano.

Roy played for several minutes, his fingers gliding over the keys effortlessly as he brought out the well remembered notes. It was like a seduction, the music that came from this beautiful instrument. It captured your mind, and soul, and carried you along on every note whether it be a note of peace or a note of anger. He had wanted to learn to do something with his fingers besides cause destruction, and this had been like a sirens call to him. As the last notes ebbed out to become fond memories among the bookshelves and their occupants, he brought his hands away.

Turning on the bench he saw Edward had his eyes closed with a wistful shadow of a smile as he curled there on the couch facing him. It made him smile as he gazed on the peaceful image before him. Quietly he stood, and walked back over to the couch to sit on the opposite end he had been in order to face Edward. "Well?" He asked quietly, as if afraid to break the moment.

Edward opened his eyes slowly to meet Roy's gaze. "It was beautiful." He answered softly. "When did you learn to play like that? I had no idea."

Roy smiled, and reached over to take Edward's notepad and pen in his hands. "About eight years ago I started teaching myself. I'm so used to using my fingers that it came easily."

Edward accepted the notepad and pen handed to him. "You never fail to surprise me, Roy Mustang." He said as he jotted down a few more lines. "Very well. After that performance, I feel confident in letting you be a traveling pianist who is finally deciding to give up the life of a gypsy-type."

"That's fine by me." Roy accepted. He didn't exactly want to go into a government job here, or a military one. He was rather done with that whole business as far as he was concerned. It didn't hold the same appeal to him today as it had yesterday when he'd gone home from his office at Central Headquarters.

Edward finished writing, and looked up at Roy. "Will you play for me again one day?" He asked, knowing he was failing miserably at trying to hide the hope in his voice.

Roy smiled at him, "as many times as you wish." He promised without reservations.

Edward was happy with the answer, and wanted to request an encore right away, but knew he should wait. They still had plenty to do. Looking away from Roy and back down to his paper he puzzled over it. "There's a good chance you'll be asked what cities or towns you've played in, so teaching you the more well-known places on the atlas will be something we need to do sooner rather than later. If you get asked about it beforehand, find some way polite way to excuse yourself."

"I can manage that." Roy assured him as he watched Ed write, and listened to all the blond was telling him.

Edward paused here, his pen still touching the paper and causing a blob of dark ink to appear. "Then there's the question of how we know each other... A long time ago I used to hang out with some of the gypsies, perhaps we crossed paths one day?"

"That's fine with me." Roy said, "but how do you propose to explain how I look like Raymond?"

At that, Edward actually smirked. "Payback I suppose… You see, Raymond is from Russia, just like you're going to be. We'll be claiming that you are the illegitimate child of Raymond's father. Which is why you're orphaned. The mistress was killed, and your father left you without claiming you. So technically you had no remaining parents in the eyes of the Russian government. You emigrated away from Russia to pursue a musical career, but always knew you had a half-brother who looked like you."

Roy gave Edward a look that was torn between amusement and exasperation. "You're giving me a crappy past. It makes sense, and it should work, but damn do you know how to depress a guy."

"Your new father's name is Ion. He committed suicide the day Raymond was convicted." Edward merely replied, a smirk dancing on his lips.

"I'll keep that in mind." Roy remarked with a roll of his eyes. "And what are these other books for?"

Edward looked over at them. "The other four are for you to look through. They'll help give you a crash course on the general history of this world. But it'll only be basic information, anything further on a topic you'll need to find out from another source. I've read through every book in here, so just ask me what you need and I'll tell you where it is."

Roy gathered them up, planning to take them back to his room. "I'll start tomorrow."

Edward nodded. "Tomorrow when I call a press conference to release a statement about you, you'll need to come with me. I can't guarantee how you will be received, just cautioning you."

As Roy nodded, a phone rang somewhere in the hallway past the open doors of the library. Edward sighed, and rose to his feet. "Probably my boss." He said, already starting towards the hallway. "I'll be back."

Roy followed Ed's departure with his eyes, before getting up to walk over to the windows. Shoving his hands into his pockets he gazed out over the lawn below, caught up in his own thoughts.

Out in the hallway Edward picked up the phone from the small table it sat on. "Hello?"

"_Mind explaining to me how Raymond showed up today?_" It was Charles.

Edward looked at the wall darkly. "It isn't Raymond. That jerk is dead."

"_Then who is it? Because apparently he looks like Raymond, and you ran off with him!_"

"Don't get your knickers shoved up your ass." Edward snarled into the phone. "I don't want to have to turn down another fucking medal and title in the next five minutes as your and the queen's apology for having doubted me about this too. I'm releasing a statement tomorrow, but I can assure you that Roy is not Raymond. They may look alike, but they're as different as night and day."

"_You're right, I'm overreacting. I'm sorry. But Ed… if this is about some sort of reliving of your past because this Roy looks like-_"

"That's not how it is at all." Edward cut him off. "I'd thank you to let it alone. Trust that I know what I'm doing. You owe it to me, Charles."

"_Fine. I'll be waiting to hear what you have to say tomorrow. Just don't be surprised if you get summons to the palace. I'm sure the queen will want to discuss this Roy person with you personally herself._"

"Then I'll be sure to take the time off of work to go do that. Now I really must be going. It's been a few hours now since I've been home. I'm sure the more idiotic reporters will be getting attacked by Nitro soon." Edward said, and promptly hung up the phone.

He looked towards the open space that the banister encased as it ran along the outer edge of the second floor walkway. It seemed he might need to dust off one of his suits sooner than he'd planned. Such a visit wasn't one that would make him nervous, but it was rather an inconvenience and a bit of an insult that even after his name had been cleared and his forgiveness had been attempted to be bought, that he still was doubted. He understood why, he had doubted Roy at first too. But was his word still not good enough when it came to this whole mess?

He sighed, and turned back to his library. Raymond truly had made a mess of his life here… he could only hope Roy could help him repair himself.

When Roy turned to see Edward walking back in he instantly saw that the man seemed down about something. That damned shadow was back, and he felt a surge of anger and protectiveness rise inside of him. Just who had been on the phone and what the hell had they said?! Quickly Roy walked over to him. "What's wrong? What did they say?"

"It's nothing." Edward muttered under his breath. "I need to tell you a bit about more recent events. They'll be coming up a lot more frequently than anything in those books."

"No." Roy insisted, and grasped Edward by his shoulders. "It's not nothing. It's about _him_, Raymond. I know it is, you look… unhappy." He said in concern. "How am I supposed to help you forget, if you don't tell me what's going on? So I can convince you that it doesn't matter anymore. That it was only a bad dream."

"It just came to my attention that sometimes my boss's trust in me still wanes in regards to the whole mess about Raymond. He's tried to be supportive, like the friend he normally is to me. But he still has doubts, and while I know I shouldn't blame him, for I doubted you too, it doesn't seem fair. My life became a mess thanks to Raymond."

"Hey," Roy said with a small smile, "it's always harder before it gets easier. That's just the cruel way life works." And he gave one of Ed's shoulders a squeeze. "I'm here now, and if it takes me the rest of my life, I'll help you forget. I'm not going to leave you like he did."

Edward looked up at him sharply, before looking away lest his eyes give away any of the turmoil he was feeling at Roy's words. Lest Roy realize the whole truth. It was a truth he didn't want to face. A truth he wanted to fade away, and become a forgotten skeleton in the closet of his darker secrets of what he had done in his life. No… Roy _could_ never leave him like Raymond had. But the effect that statement had made on him had had a deeper effect than Roy must have been able to imagine. "Thank you. And I'm sorry that I seem to have baggage. A lot of it." Edward admitted with wry acceptance, and a certain amount of bitter amusement at himself.

"If you had been left unaffected by that, I'd be concerned about you." Roy admitted, "I understand why it still bothers you. I just feel glad that my death in Amestris came at the price of being able to try and help you."

Roy wasn't sure what happened in that moment as they stood there, but something unspoken seemed to pass between them. Something peaceful, something that sung silently like the music Roy had played. It felt like an ending, and a beginning all at the same time, but felt like a promise undefined.


	7. Chapter 7

GreedxEd: Charles my fictional prime minister. And yes, Ed needs a hug. Will you give him one?

Phoenix: Lemme guess, must have been you shoveling snow. I wish I could have. I want to see snow again.

Paon: The Ed and Raymond's true relationship will be explored later on, so I can't exactly say. Roy really should kiss him though. Aww, I wish you had snow. I wish I had snow. Maybe if you hope re-eally hard... maybe.

Deanna: Reviewing from work? Darn you're a daredevil. And it sounds like you have a fun teacher. And oh dear, now I'm going to be singing that song from that Bond movie all day.

ferret: I'm a geek like that too. I'd love to meet a guy who could play the piano. Roy belongs to Ed though, so I can't have him.

Embers: Who can play music no less. He's just a bit sexy with that image.

B.D.: You shall soon find out, and I'm glad school is out for you as well.

Choas: Wow... make sure to remind any guys you ever date not to get on your bad side.

roy-rules: I'm glad it was good. All your questions will soon be answered.

mrawgirl: Ah that's okay, sometimes the site won't let me update. It's just a bugger sometimes. And Roy will learn how to dance... he just doesn't know how yet. -smirks-

Shikon: Yes, Hughes is technically still alive. Unless I decide to kill him.

haganeno: I'll tell you when you're older... just kidding. A red light district is a place of nothing but brothels, prostitutes, Roy, whores, Roy, etc. And you have a good holiday too!

anmb: Yes, I think Roy could be good at the violin, but I couldn't see Ed as the type to just have one lying around. And yay! Food!

Lizche: Thank you, and I hope you do read more.

Koneko: I agree, Roy playing the piano is sexy. Hah! You said wibbles. You rock. And technically Russia is to the west as well... just depends on which direction you're looking. Buy me some cream at the store too... I need more.

E: Russia does have complicated names... poor Roy is being harassed by Ed. I think they need to kiss and make up.

Shawn: Ugh, holiday spirit my ass. I don't know how these crazy drivers can be holiday-ee at all. The only spirit they possess right now, or rather are possessed by, is the impulse to try and see just how many times they can get away with not dying.

* * *

Still having laptop issues, was sick for four days, and had jury duty yesterday while still being sick. I was tons of fun yesterday, you should have been there.

I've decided I am looking forward to turning 21 soon, some days, like yesterday, you just feel in need of a glass of wine.

Anyway, time to get this up, and Fallen was updated as well. I'll be getting up absurdly early on Christmas to put up my holiday special. I'm finishing it today.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Seven

Evening found Roy abed, the four thick leather bound books on his bedside table and all but forgotten as he lay there staring up at the shadowed ceiling of his new room. The dark blue covers were bundled around his verging-on-frail body, a section of it bunched up inside one fist that clenched and unclenched depending on which direction his thoughts turned.

It did not escape him how lucky he was to be here right now, safe in this house with Edward and the possessive guard llama he had not yet seen. He knew that he could have still been wandering around, lost, hunted, and miserable. He knew he could have not managed to get Edward to realize it was him in time. He realized he was fortunate to be here.

His afternoon with Edward had been spent having him practice and memorize his past so that it could come freely from his lips without anyone suspecting he was hiding anything more than meaningless information. He knew he would be questioned on his past, it was the nature of this strange scene he had walked into. So he would have to be easily, willingly, forthcoming about information if he were to avoid being looked at even more critically. When he had not been practicing and memorizing, he had been studying an atlas with Edward, learning the continents first, and then some basic countries including the one he was in now.

Afterwards they'd had dinner, and continued their practice with both Roy's new past as well as working with the atlas. Roy was proving to be a quick learner, and Edward proved to be a good teacher. However Roy was still of the mind that a part of his quick learning was the fact that his teacher was the one person he'd been longing to see for nearly two decades. The person he had missed above all others.

His hand clenched on the covers as his gaze darkened, causing the light in his normally bright black eyes to dim.

Since they'd been apart Edward had been hurt. And above all things he despised, it was that someone could ever intentionally cause physical or emotional harm to Edward. And it stung even more that it had been someone who looked like him. His damn _reflection_. But when did a mirror ever reflect a person's soul along with their body? And so his reflection here had been his exact opposite, and yet was still fated to meet Edward. It was a cruel sort of joke.

It was because of this he knew he couldn't tell Edward now. He couldn't act on what he wanted to say, and do. Raymond had shattered his immediate chances. But for Edward he could wait, even if he waited his entire life. Even if he spent every last remaining day on this planet trying to erase Raymond from Edward's immediate memory, it would be worth it. Even if he spent every last day trying to show Edward how much he cared about him, he'd do it.

And maybe… just maybe, Edward might one day fall in love with him. It was still only a dream… but now he had the chance to try and make this dream become reality.

Roy gradually fell into a deep, restless sleep, the covers still clenched in one of his hands.

In his own room Edward was still awake. He sat on his bed with its dark red sheets, under the down comforter for warmth. He was sitting up against the headboard, one knee bent up so that he could rest a pad of legal paper against it while he wrote his statement for the press. And while he was dressed for bed in his black cotton pajamas, he was far from tired.

His golden eyes glanced down to the notepad next to him which bore the entirety of Roy's new identity. Right down to the driver's license information he was going to put on a card he would procure from a trusted man at the automotive division. Shifting his gaze back to the legal pad, he resumed his writing now that he'd double-checked himself. To him, this was like helping write a speech that was supposed to make the citizens agree with and support whoever was giving the speech. This was to gain support for Roy, and agreement among the masses that Roy was not Raymond. So he took care in every word he wrote as he penned the concise statement down.

Once he finished, he again made sure that everything was accurate. Well, as accurate as forming one of the greatest lies he'd ever tell could be accurate. Clicking his pen closed he set his notepad and legal pad inside a drawer of his bedside table, along with the pen. Shoving the drawer shut Edward slipped out of bed instead of going to sleep.

He still wasn't tired. Adrenaline and excitement from today was still with him. And he had a lot on his mind to boot.

Slipping his feet into his black bunny eared slippers he padded out of his room as he ran his fingers through his unbound braid to coax the hair to lay flat. He walked down the stairs, and turned around them as he reached the landing to let himself in through one of the large heavy doors that kept the ballroom from view.

He didn't bother with the lights, the moonbeams coming through the panes of windows on the far wall illuminated the cedar floor panels fine. And he knew that there was nothing laying out in this room to trip him. He passed by the ornate gold filigree on the creamy walls, and the cedar wall supports that were engraved with roses and doves. The far end was glass panels, much like the library above. There were two glass doors that swung out into the granite and marble terrace beyond, and he let himself out through one such door.

The brush of cold night air greeted him as he stepped outside onto the granite flagstones of the terrace. With a bit of a shiver he wrapped his arms around his middle as he walked to the marble banister that overlooked the rolling expanse of darkened green lawn and the shadowy trees that provided the well needed protection and shade for his many four-legged animals.

Lost in his thoughts, he was only roused from them by a familiar clopping of cloven hooves as they bounced their furry owner up the stairs to the left.

Edward looked over and smiled faintly as he reached out his left hand to tug gently at one lop ear of his llama. "If you're here that means you haven't been beating anyone up yet." He said softly as he stroked his fingers through the thick brown and white patches of spotted fur that made the animal look like he'd gotten in the way of a chocolate factory explosion.

Nitro gave his owner a less than amused look as he chewed his latest hunk of grass in his typical sideways motion. Looking much like a drug addict on a high as his eyes lolled around, always searching.

"I'm scared, Nitro." Edward whispered as he closed his eyes with a sigh. "I want so much for us, but I can't help feeling guilty. Weak. I'm not sure I deserve anything more than what I have here tonight. It doesn't bother me so much that no one but Al would approve if anything were to ever happen. But what I've done bothers me."

Nitro, obviously having no clue nor care for what his owner was saying, could feel the melancholy radiating from his human. The grass he was chewing was swallowed, and he butted Edward's nearest shoulder as if to say "pull yourself together".

Edward opened his eyes to give the llama a rebuking look. "You're lucky you only have to worry about acting like a guard dog." He said, and ruffled the fur at the very top of the animal's head. "Come on then, let's go see why the reporters are behaving themselves for once." He said, and walked past the animal so he could descend the short flight of stairs.

Nitro hopped down behind him in one smooth leap before tagging along directly behind, his nose nearly touching the back of Edward's shoulder as they walked.

Edward rounded the side of his home so he could have a clear view of the gates that still locked off his driveway. What he saw made him smile. "Charles."

Directly in front of his gates he could see the outline of four royal guards who were clearly defending the gate from being breached by an over-enthusiastic journalist. Who would then be promptly head-butted and bitten by an enraged llama nicknamed Nitro, registered name Nitroglycerin after the explosive material. It was rather fitting all the way around.

The press were barely visible across the street, but they were still there. The headlights of their cars giving them away. He would have to get through them tomorrow, but it seemed that for tonight he would not have to worry about calling an ambulance come morning.

Perhaps Charles trusted him more than he thought. For if it were the opposite, those guards would currently be in his home, and not outside the gates.

"Well I think you can rest easy tonight." Edward said to the llama whose head was currently beside his, resting on his shoulder possessively. Smiling, he pushed the animal away so he could walk back to the rear of the chateau.

He left Nitro on the terrace, not ever thinking about trying to let the llama inside. He could only imagine the chaos that would reign. Once the doors were both shut and secured Edward made his way back through the empty ballroom and back up the stairs.

He stopped in the hallway, taking up the phone and dialing before sliding down against the wall to sit on the floor. Resting his head against the wall he closed his eyes, listening to the phone ring.

"_Le Royal Meridien._" Answered a cheerful feminine voice on the other line.

"Room 218, please." Edward requested in a less cheerful tone. Hey, he was calling from across the Atlantic, he would be cut some slack for being tired. Supposedly.

"_Yes sir_." The voice replied, and soon the line began to ring again as his call was transferred.

Edward waited patiently, hoping Al was actually in at the moment and not out partying or something in the Toronto nightlife. His hope was soon fulfilled.

"_Hello?_"

"It's me."

"_Hey brother. What's wrong?_"

Edward frowned, "how do you know something's wrong?"

"_Because that's the only reason you'd be calling me after we just spoke this morning._" Al's voice sounded definitive about the theory.

Edward had to smile at that. "Roy is here."

There was a pause, and then, "_Roy Mustang?_"

"Yes."

"_Shit._"

"Al!" Edward's eyes snapped open as he gaped at the phone. "Where'd you learn such words?"

"_From you._" Al responded firmly.

"I'm sure I've never said that word before." Edward evaded fruitlessly.

"_How are you holding up?_"

It was Edward's turn to pause. How was he holding up? "Not well." He admitted, putting his face in his free hand. "I know they're not the same, but sometimes when I look at him… I just don't know Al. I keep being reminded of how he betrayed me… how I betrayed Roy because I was too damn weak."

"_You could never have known how he would have betrayed you. If you had, you'd have killed him and avoided the whole mess by tossing him in the Thames. Which means you're at no fault either. You know it was only because he looked like Roy. Just like Alfons looked like me. It's the same idea. You were trying to cope with a loneliness. That's understandable, so don't beat yourself up anymore about it._"

"I just feel guilty." Edward replied softly. "Roy has said he wants to help me forget Raymond. And in some ways I am. But I don't know if I can ever tell Roy the whole truth. I just want it to fade away. Isn't it better that I just bury that as well? That I just shove it away in some closet of skeletons and never think about it again?"

"_No, because you know you will think of it again one day if you do that._" Alphonse sounded sure of himself. "_And because if you do, you know one day he'll figure it out on his own like I did. Do you really want him to do that?_"

"No. Not exactly…" Edward sighed, leaning his head back against the wall again. "It's not like it's easy to tell him though. I don't want to risk ruining what I have now with him."

"_I know, there is the chance of that. But you'll just have to trust him that he won't leave you. He's always stood by you before, no matter what. So the chances that something like this will be enough to make him leave, and in doing so with the knowledge that he'd be betraying you in a way as well, are not many. Trust him, brother. Even if he doesn't like what he hears, he's man enough to deal with it._"

"I think he likes me." Edward finally said after a long pause.

"_Ah… well that does complicate things just a bit. Doesn't it._"

"Yes it-"

"_No, it doesn't. I was being sarcastic._" Al sounded amused. "_Just explain things to him. Take a chance. And even if you crash and burn, won't you feel better if you crash and burn like this?_"

Edward would rather he not crash and burn at all. But he knew it was an unrealistic wish. Even if he did tell Roy, he would be opening back up one of his darkest secrets back into the light where it could be seen. It would hurt, and he knew that it could hurt even more depending on what actions Roy took. Either way, he would burn. Crashing was still up in the air. Yet, in a strange twisted way, Al was right. If he were going to crash and burn, would it not be better to get it over with now while he still had something of a wall around himself? If he were going to crash and burn, would it not be better to get it over with before it truly became too personal?

"_Brother?_"

Edward hung his head. "You're right. I'll tell him. Just not tomorrow…"

"_Don't wait too long._" Alphonse cautioned.

"I won't." Edward sighed as he stared blankly at the bamboo floor he was sitting on. "I just want to make sure I give him enough knowledge to make it in this world if he does leave."

"_I can only say that if he does, he doesn't deserve you anyway. You never did anything wrong._"

Edward smiled a bit, "thanks baby brother."

"_You're welcome. Remember, I'm here for you always. If there is one person in any world who won't leave you, it's me._"

"I know." Edward agreed, feeling a bit better by that declaration. "I love you, Al."

"_I love you too. I also love dinner._"

Edward couldn't help but smile. "Go eat. I'll call you again tomorrow night to tell you what's going on. And Al? Thanks for listening to me."

"_As thickheaded as you can sometimes be, I love you. I'm always here to listen to you and want to smash your head into a wall of common sense._"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Sometimes the gravity of things is too great to be solved by just common sense. Common sense is simple. Most things are complicated."

"_I'll write that on a fortune cookie._" Alphonse said lightly, "_goodnight brother. And good luck._"

"Night." Edward said, and reached up after a moment to hang up the phone. Afterwards his hand dropped down into his lap as he sat there for a few more minutes. After a while he stood up, but instead of going straight to his bedroom, he found himself standing at the door of the room Roy had taken up in.

He stared at it for a moment, before he gently eased the door open.

It was clear that Roy was asleep, and Edward felt himself smile just a bit at the sight. But it was a sad smile. He knew Roy must be exhausted. He doubted the man had gotten much sleep the previous night. And he doubted Roy had slept well when he'd been ill. His body needed rest in order to help him heal.

Quietly Edward crossed the room over to the bed. He paused there for a moment, watching Roy sleep through what appeared to be a restless dream. But it didn't seem like he was going to wake up anytime soon. Gently Edward sat on the edge of the bed watching him, and then reached out to lightly brush some of the silky black hair away from his face. He wondered what Roy was dreaming about so deeply, that caused him such unrest even while asleep. It didn't appear to be a nightmare, but it was clearly not a dream of kittens and lambs.

Letting out a slow breath that he didn't even realize he'd been holding, Edward half stood up from his seat on the edge of the bed. Before he straightened all the way, he leaned over to place a gentle and lingering kiss on Roy's forehead. "I'm sorry." He whispered quietly as he drew away.

Giving the still sleeping Roy a wistful look he turned and quietly left the room, shutting the door gently behind him. He did not notice Roy's sleep become less troubled, but he did notice the ache inside of him that wished one day he might be able to kiss the man properly. But for now… at least he would have that one moment.

As he fell into his own bed, Edward turned out the lights with a forlorn sigh and turned to seeking out sleep for himself. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow, and he needed to be ready for it.


	8. Chapter 8

Yeah, day after Christmas, but at least I finally got here, right? So the Christmas special will be going up today, along with someone's Christmas gift fic. Along with new chapters for all my other fics... lesse... my Snarry fic and Fallen, and Ultimatum? I think those are all I have going on... Anywho... I thought this should get up first. Since I'm special like that and get to choose. The other updates may be in five minutes, or five hours, but they will be up today. It just depends on how much time I can get here and there from being the delightful hostess I am to come update.

I somehow got tricked into hosting Christmas Eve, Christmas DAY -yes, all day-, and day after Christmas. Someone tell me how this happened because I am confused. But oh well. So you can image that yesterday I barely had time to breathe, much less turn on a computer. I woke up early to update, and it turned into waking up early to make cranberry sauce. Go me.

I'll answer all my reviews sometime today as well via the site's system. At least for this one... we'll see how the others go. Gosh I'm going crazy...

Hope everyone had (is having?) a good holiday. Whichever one you celebrate. If any. You all are fantastic, and you deserve the best.

* * *

Chapter Eight

Roy woke the next morning to the sound of rain drumming against the windows on either side of his bed. The curtains closed over them did little to muffle the sound, but it did help some. He let his eyes drift open slowly, and the room slid into focus. Yet he didn't move out from under the warmth the covers gave him. Not just yet. He waited until he could wait no longer to relieve himself, curse the rain.

After he was done in the bathroom he brushed the wrinkles from his clothes as best he could. He only had the one set after all. He'd need to go shopping before he started to smell or something. Not that he'd mind running around in a bathrobe while his only set of clothes washed, but he could hardly wear the same thing every day anyway.

Walking out into the hallway he was about to go down the stairs when he looked at the banister with a thoughtful expression. Tossing dignity out the window, Roy sat sideways on the polished mahogany banister, and pushed off into a slide. He slid the entire way down smoothly, all the while snickering much like a young child. There was just something fun about sliding down staircase banisters.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to do that." Edward remarked with a smirk as he walked into the foyer from the hallway that led to the garage and other facilities down that way. He'd obviously come from his morning workout, as he was dressed in sweats and covered in a glimmer of sweat.

Roy turned with a bit of a guilty smile as soon as he had his balance again. "Couldn't help it."

Edward smiled and walked past him, bound for his room and a shower. "I slide down it a lot as well. That's why I keep it so polished. So I don't get stuck." He said and started climbing the stairs. "Breakfast is on the table, eat as much as you want. I'll be down in a while, I'm expecting guests."

"Should I let them in if you're not down yet?" Roy asked up after him.

Edward shook his head as he kept climbing. "They won't be, and if they are they can wait. It won't kill them."

Roy shrugged, and figured Ed knew best. So he headed for the kitchen, not noticing the look Edward sent after him. On the small table in the kitchen he found a plate and utensils set out for him already. A pitcher of water and a glass sat next to a stack of still steaming waffles. They were unlike any waffles he'd ever seen though. They looked right… but they were tall and had wide squares of space. And they looked a lot more fluffy than any waffles they'd had back in Amestris.

He forked a few of the strange looking waffles onto his plate, and drizzled some blackberry syrup over them. He took a few slices of thick peppered bacon as well, and spooned some of the pineapple and pear fruit bowl onto his plate. He poured himself a glass of the water before beginning to eat.

First was a bite of the strange waffles, which he soon discovered he was addicted to. They were not only fluffy, but had a decent amount of rigidity still. And the flavor was not one he'd ever tasted before in a waffle. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was addicting. He ended up eating all that was on his plate, and helped himself to more. After all, Edward had said he could have as much as he wanted. And he _was_ still hungry. He needed to gain back almost half his body weight, and it helped that Edward seemed to be a fantastic cook.

Edward entered the kitchen as Roy was cutting off a square of waffle and smearing it in the excess syrup on his plate. "Is it good?" He asked, taking in how much was gone. He was pleased to see that Roy had made a decent sized dent in what he'd made. He'd purposefully made extra of everything, just to be sure Roy had enough to eat.

Roy swallowed his bite of waffle, before nodding in earnest. "What kind of waffles are these? They're addictive."

Edward smiled at the man's enthusiasm, and he walked over to take a seat opposite Roy. "Belgian sour cream waffles. I got the recipe from a chef at the consulate in Belgium when I visited there in '42."

"They're very good." Roy complimented him as he polished off his second helping of food.

"Thank you." Edward replied, feeling pleased with himself. Normally only he ate his cooking, so it was nice to hear that he was as good as he tended to think he was. "Eat as many as you like. I've already eaten."

"How early did you wake up?" Roy frowned at him, taking the initiative to pile on some more fruit and waffles.

"Around four." He answered, glancing out the window. "I had things I needed to take care of. I'm not normally up until after six though."

"Things to do with me?" Roy guessed, stabbing a piece of pineapple onto his fork now.

Edward nodded, turning back around to face Roy while he picked up a slice of bacon. "Had to make a few phone calls. It was nothing you needed to be awake for or I would have pushed you out of bed." He said idly and nibbled on the end of the bacon strip he held between his thumb and forefinger.

Roy tilted his head a bit, "what sort of phone calls?"

"Business calls. You'll soon see." Edward answered cryptically as he finished his slice of bacon. Wiping his fingers on a napkin he stood to throw the soiled object away before he fished his gloves from the pocket of the black slacks he was wearing, and pulled them on to cover his automail hand from view.

Roy watched as Edward rolled down the cuffs of the black silk shirt he was wearing so that there was no chance his metal limb would be seen. He had to admit, Edward looked quite nearly edible dressed as he was with the top two buttons of that shirt still undone, exposing a tempting v-section of chest and neck. Even down to the black boots and the black tie holding his hair in a ponytail, Roy was forced to admit Ed probably looked better in black than red.

"What?" Edward asked hesitantly, catching Roy staring at him. All the while trying to ignore the loud drumming of his heart that he was sure Roy could hear.

Roy blinked, and looked back down at his plate to hide the flush on his face. "We aren't going to a funeral, are we?" He asked, desperate to steer the conversation as far away as possible from his prior fantasizing about what was under those clothes.

Edward was busy balling up the warm tingles that he'd been given at the way Roy had looked at him. He'd bask in them later, when he was alone. "No." He answered with a faint smile. "Or at least I hope not."

"You and me both." Roy muttered to his empty plate.

"Trust me, I will make sure that you won't be arrested for escaping IK-10." Edward gave a bit of a laugh. "Not that it's very possible anyway."

"What's IK-10?" Roy frowned.

"The prison Raymond was incarcerated in. It's in Siberia, which is pretty much a frozen wasteland this time of the year. A person like Raymond who'd been pampered his entire life could not have survived trying to escape. Plus the guards had clearance to shoot him dead if he tried to escape."

"Will they not identify his body as well? That will make it impossible to refute the claim that I'm not him." Roy questioned as he thought more about it.

Edward's gaze darkened, and he nodded. "They will. That was what one of my phone calls was regarding. His body is being brought back here for identification and then burial."

"Burial?" Roy frowned at the idea. "But this man betrayed his country and your trust. Surely he doesn't deserve a burial."

"Well, even if it will be an unmarked grave, welcome to this world. Rarely does anything they do make true sense, they're so busy trying to keep everyone happy that sometimes they do the worst possible things." Edward sighed. "As the late Fuhrer, what would you have done with a traitor?"

"Burned them to ash with my alchemy and been done with it. There certainly would have been no burial rights." Roy said in a disgruntled way.

Edward nodded, "you are a greater man than many here. You always were." And he looked away as a loud knock sounded on the front door. It must have been loud, for it barely made it back to the kitchen where they were. "Excuse me." He said, giving Roy a parting smile before hurrying away.

Roy stared after him, feeling put off balance, but also humbled by the claim. He had never given a thought to being a person of greatness. Just one who did what he felt was right. It seemed that merited a lot more than he had previously thought. A smile slowly slipped onto his lips, and he stood up to begin clearing up the table so the dishes could be washed once he got the food put away.

Already he was falling into living here. He didn't mind helping out with the cleaning, it was the least he could do since Edward was allowing him to stay here. The only possible string, if it could even be called that, was his promise to help Edward try and forget Raymond in exchange for staying here. He could at least help with the cleaning as well.

He finished putting away the leftover food, and rinsed off the dishes into the sink so they could be washed tonight. Finding a towel he dried off his hands as he looked out the window above the stove at several of the horses in the distance frolicking about in the still falling rain.

Out in the foyer Edward was laying down a towel near the door for his guests wet shoes to be put so his floor didn't get marred. He then pulled a moveable coat hanger from the coat closet which he also set on a towel. Only then did he open the door to let her inside.

Edward smiled as he opened the door to see a woman old enough to be his mother standing there. Her hair was cropped short in a graying bob, but her blue eyes glittered with energy she should have lost when she turned six years old. But she was no frail being with her stout stature, and carried a heavy cane as well as a leather duffel bag. "Miss Wiesel, it's really good to see you again. I'm sorry for the short notice." He said as he quickly offered to take her bag.

"Nonsense Mister Elric." She insisted as she handed over the bag gratefully and stepped inside. Already moving to the towel to slip her shoes off. "There is no such thing as short notice when it's an emergency."

Edward smiled, and set the bag aside so he could help her take off her coat, which he then hung for her.

"You're such a good man." She told him endearingly. If only her own sons had grown up to be like this man they might actually have made something of themselves.

Edward shook his head at her, "it's no inconvenience to me to help a lady."

She snorted in good natured amusement. "Darling, I am far from a lady. But you're sweet. Now where is this challenge of yours?"

Edward laughed lightly, and extended his arm for her after he'd retrieved the duffel bag. "This way. And I really am grateful you could come. I trust no one but you with matters like this."

"As you shouldn't." She insisted with a rather harder tap of her cane than before as it helped her along. "I am the best."

Far be it for him to disagree with that. And he led her into the kitchen where he found Roy looking out the window. "Roy?"

Roy turned at the voice, immediately taking notice of the aged woman he was escorting around. "Sorry, did you need me for something?" He asked as he glanced over the woman, and then looked at the duffel bag Edward was carrying.

Miss Wiesel gave a shallow gasp as her eyes landed on what was very much like a memory come back to life. "Well I never… it is true that someone looks like him."

Roy blinked, "you aren't going to try and attack me?" He asked, feeling rather perplexed that someone who knew who he looked like would _not_ want to cause him bodily harm.

Edward merely grinned, and set the duffel bag down as Miss Wiesel promptly left his side to stride over to Roy, tapping along with her cane.

"Now that is hardly the way to treat a guest of Mister Elric." She told him firmly, and stopped almost right on top of him, peering him over with a critical eye. "Not a bad looking man, though you need a bit more meat on your bones." She assessed, and stepped back a bit so she could circle him some. "Yes… yes… I have something that will do nicely. But this."

Roy nearly jumped in shock as she was suddenly right in front of him again.

"Do you want another eye patch Mister…?"

"Mustang." Roy offered. "Roy Mustang. And I would, I misplaced mine and really haven't had access to another."

Miss Wiesel gave a tap of her cane. "Until I showed up. But enough chit-chat. We have work to do on you Mister Mustang."

Roy didn't quite know what to make of this woman as she strode from the kitchen imperiously. He walked over to an amused looking Edward, bafflement clearly on his face. "Who in the name of the Gate is that woman?"

Edward chuckled, "Miss Wiesel. She's one of my favorite people in the whole world so be nice to her."

"Yes but _who_ is she?"

"The person who's going to be fitting you for some proper clothes to wear to the press conference." Edward replied with a smile. "I thought you might feel more comfortable subjecting yourself to someone I trust for this emergency. Instead of hauling you off to shop beforehand and be hounded by the reporters."

Roy could concede on that. He would rather take care of it here in the safety of Edward's own home. And he _did_ need something else to wear. "Afterwards can we go shopping for more clothes? I don't have any at all but these and whatever she's going to stuff me in."

Edward nodded, bending down to pick up the duffel bag. "Think of everything you need and we'll go buy it."

"About money-"

"Don't even think about it." Edward cut him off before he could say anything further. And he fixed Roy with a firm look. "I don't require any money. For years you paid for everything I needed. Yes, it was through military funding, but you got me that funding. Consider this the last act of equivalent exchange I will do."

Roy knew it was pointless to argue with Edward when he had his mind made up. And he had known the blond long enough to know the signs of an unwavering Fullmetal. "Let's not keep Miss Weasel waiting then."

"Wiesel." Edward glared at him, and Roy laughed.

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

"In her presence, try." Edward rolled his eyes.

They rejoined Miss Wiesel at the staircase, and then the three of them marched up the stairs together. Ending up in the room Roy had ended up choosing, Edward set the duffel bag down near the sofa as soon as they entered. He stole a glance towards the bed, the memory of last night flashing through his mind causing him to quickly look away. "I'm going to go so you two can work." He said, and left the room before either of the other two occupants could comment.

Roy looked after Edward with a concerned frown, but did not go after him. Instead he brought his attention back to Miss Wiesel.

She had finished opening her duffel bag, and drew out a tape measure and a Velcro band which she fixed around one wrist. In it were several pins of varying sizes. "Okay, everything comes off but whatever is covering your parts Mister Mustang. This is no time to be shy. I've given birth to three boys who decided they liked running around in the buff no matter what I said." She stated as she set her cane aside, ready to begin her work.

Roy was beginning to see why Edward liked her. He was finding he didn't mind her so much himself. He stripped out of his clothes, and was instantly subjected to being measured in between Miss Wiesel writing figures on a pad of paper with a pen that was commonly clamped between her teeth.

"I can see I was right about putting meat on your bones. You're going to fit into a size three smaller than you should be in judging by your build." She said once she was done with her measurements. "You're not anorexic are you?"

"No." Roy answered immediately, but not too quickly to give the suspicion he might be lying about it. "I was sick for a long time, and I couldn't keep the weight on."

Miss Wiesel nodded with pursed lips as she began to dig through her duffel bag. "Good thing I came prepared. I have just the items, only a few alterations will be needed. When I'm through with you, you will no longer look like a vagrant from the countryside."

"I do not-"

"Yes you do." She insisted, "at least you will if you show up looking casual to what is practically a dinner party at Buckingham in importance to you."

Roy made a mental note to ask Edward what this Buckingham place was. So he settled for looking agreeable but a bit disgruntled still. "And you can make me look like I belong at a dinner party?"

"And more, given the right occasion." Miss Wiesel told him frankly. "Now here, slip these slacks on so I can pin how far in I need to take the hems.

Nearly half an hour passed before Miss Wiesel was satisfied of her pinning. Roy felt much like he'd been poked and prodded enough by now to have accurately gotten everything fit properly. As he had no mirror out here in this room to judge by, he had no clue how he looked. And looking down didn't do too much as this action irritated Miss Wiesel and he found that Edward's guest or not, he was probably better guaranteed his life if he didn't irritate this woman.

With all the pins firmly in place he was allowed to undress, and was promptly sent to do something with his hair which according to her looked terrible. Which was probably true as he hadn't done anything with it at all yet since he'd woken up.

After a soak in the tub, he changed back into the clothes he had been wearing, and combed his hair into a tame damp mop. Time had done a lot to both he and Edward. They'd both grown up in their own ways, and his happened to be the fact that he no longer took borderline obsessive-compulsive care that every hair on his head lay perfectly as he thought it should.

"There you are." Miss Wiesel said as she cut the last thread she'd been working on. "Now take those pauper clothes off and put these on. Come darling, come."

Roy deigned not to argue the comment on his other clothes. They did their job and they looked halfway decent on him. He'd gone to his job as Fuhrer dressed a lot more casual. So he shed his other clothes and pulled on the others.

First the black slacks that he could _feel_ fit him perfectly. They actually made him feel… sexy. And that knowledge almost made him laugh that he of all people could feel even more sexual with a good pair of slacks. He next pulled on the dark green shirt that wasn't made from silk, but it felt like it could have been with how soft against his skin it was. The sleeves were long, and he left a few of the top buttons at the neck undone. The shirt itself seemed to fit against him like a new skin and while it made him feel a bit self conscious because of his noticeable bony figure, it also seemed to show off what would be there as soon as he ate a few more of Edward's meals and took a rendezvous down in that gym.

"Not bad." Miss Wiesel nodded as she examined her work. "Now you actually look like you took care in how you dressed. Now the jacket." And she passed over the lightweight black jacket that had no buttons or a zipper. It was just there to be a second layer and complete a semi-business look that seemed to be what was required. "How do you feel?"

Roy adjusted the cuffs so that they rested seamlessly against his wrists. "On show."

"You are." She told him frankly as she studied him with an appraising eye. "Your friend, Mister Elric, is an exception among all those before him. Because of the treason of Mister Devaroe he has been pushed into the public spotlight and has remained there. Which means that they'll now watch you, even aside from your uncanny resemblance to Mister Devaroe. It's the nature of the game, Mister Mustang."

"And is this all just a game?"

"Some see it that way. Others see it as the only way of life they know." Miss Wiesel replied as she finished making a few last minute tugs on the clothes. "I'm not sure how your friend feels about what he's involved in. But unlike the others, I don't see him as the type who would miss leaving it behind if he found something that mattered more."

Roy thought about that for a moment, and nodded. "You'd be right about that." He replied softly. "We've known each other a long time, and I know he would leave something behind if he felt he had to do something that was of more importance." Was that not, after all, why Edward had left Amestris for good? Because he felt it was more important to seal the Gate from being permeable to travel between the two worlds? More important than staying where they both knew he had belonged. He felt that Edward wasn't attached to the nature of life he led here, to him it seemed more like Edward was just trying to make his way through this life. He just… existed. Falling into the role of his father just because it was familiar. So did that mean Edward was waiting for some sign to come along to point him towards something that would matter more?

Miss Wiesel studied him again, one hand at her chin in thought. "Which is why I like Mister Elric a great deal. He is not easy to read, but I can tell by just being around him that he is not someone whose fate in this life has yet been decided. He is far more interesting to me than a lot of the shallow, go-with-the-flow nobles I also assist. Especially because he was brazen enough to turn down a medal and a title that anyone else I know would have leapt at. He's no ordinary man, and so I keep waiting to see what extraordinary path he takes."

If this woman only knew the half of it. But she could never know the story behind the blond man, that he was a legend in his own right in the world he had come from. Edward had always led a far from ordinary life in Amestris. And Roy too began to find himself wondering just what sign Edward was waiting for. What it was that would bring him back to life.

"And you, Mister Mustang," she continued as she began to pack her duffel bag, "you are much like him I have a feeling. I'll be waiting for the day that the two of you find your higher calling in this life. Because when it happens I am sure that in some way it will leave us all reeling."

"I'm not sure if you mean that in a bad way or a good one." Roy admitted as he watched her.

She chuckled a bit, and straightened with the help of her cane. "Bad for those who get in your way. But inspiring to the rest of us mere mortals." In her hands she held the black eye patch she'd constructed as well while she'd been waiting for Roy to finish with his bath. And she held it out to him.

"Thanks." He said as he took it, and quickly fitted it on. It felt perfect on his face and against his skin, and he barely noticed it was there even after having gone an entire day without wearing one.

Miss Wiesel took in the effect, and nodded in approval. "I'm sorry you lost the eye, but you don't actually look to bad in an eye patch. Very dignified."

Roy smiled, and quickly bent to pick up her duffel bag for her so she didn't need to bother with it. "Thank you, for today." He said, feeling a growing fondness for this woman.

"I've dressed you to look presentable." She told him as they exited his room. "Don't screw it up."

"I'd be afraid of you if I did." Roy told her, which made her laugh in amusement.

Miss Wiesel continued chuckling as she went down the stairs. "I'd love to know who your mother was, and Mister Elric's mother. They raised some very interesting sons. I only raised my embarrassing spawn."

Roy smiled at that, but didn't say anything regarding their mothers. Firstly, he didn't know what story Edward supposedly had told these people. And second, he didn't feel like being quizzed this early in the morning about his mother who was a mistress to Ion Devaroe. Both of whom left him alone apparently by either dying or forgetting about him. It was just too depressing this early in the morning. And just a bit irritating that his "half-brother" was going to be Raymond. But he had to do what he had to do. "Do you not need to collect payment or anything?" He asked as he saw she was already getting her shoes on again.

She gave him an amused look. "I bill Mister Elric's workplace. They cover things like this for him as far as money is concerned."

That made Roy wonder just how much of Edward's expenses were paid by his workplace. "That's very generous of them."

"The head advisor of the prime minister who has been nothing but a blessing to foreign affairs is someone the government can afford to spoil that one time every year or so he decides he needs spoiling." Miss Wiesel informed him as she pulled on her coat, and then took her duffel bag back with a smile. "Thank you, and good luck."

Roy nodded to her, and politely opened the door. "Thank you for everything." Once she had departed, Roy closed and locked the front door. Not sure if Edward wanted the towels and that coat hanger moved, he decided to leave them as they were while he looked around for the missing blond. "Edward?" He called out, starting forward in an uncertain direction across the foyer.

Roy was about to start up the staircase to see if the blond was in the library, when he saw one of the massive doors behind the staircase ajar. He recalled Edward telling him it led to the ballroom, but hadn't he also said that the ballroom wasn't ever used? Curious, he went around the staircase, and pushed the door open further so he could slip inside.

The ballroom was the size of the mess hall back at Central Headquarters, but it was far from the cold functional feeling of a mess hall. This room was large, but contained a warmth of laughter and music that must have once been heard here. The grayish light that was created by the rain outside blocking the sunlight barely illuminated the room. The place smelled of cedar, and faintly of coconut for some strange reason. At the far end were wide panes of windows like were upstairs in the library.

Beyond them was what must be the terrace Edward had told him about, and there Edward himself was standing at the railing and appearing to be looking out into the falling rain.

Roy walked over and found the two doors that opened to the terrace beyond. He let himself outside quietly, and shut the door again. "Have you been out here this whole time?" Roy asked as he walked across the granite flagstones towards the man.

Edward blinked himself out of the trance he'd fallen into, and turned at the waist to look over at Roy as he came to join him. "Yeah." He replied quietly, his voice trailing off near the end as he took in what the result had been to dress Roy for the press conference. He did like Roy better without jackets he decided, but what he saw was hardly anything he knew he would have problems fantasizing about. Abruptly he looked away, clearing his throat a bit. "You look good. I knew I could trust her." He said quickly to cover his blatant staring of just then.

Roy smiled a bit as he joined Edward at the marble railing. Placing his hands on the cold stone he curled his fingers around it before he turned his head to look at Edward. "Is everything okay? You disappeared rather fast, and you've been standing out here this whole time."

Edward's eyes flickered, but he knew he couldn't be up front with Roy why he had felt the need to leave so fast. "Everything's fine, I just needed someplace to think. And the rain, as much as I hate it, helps me think."

Roy looked away, to stare out at the falling precipitation. "Does it always rain so much here?"

"Pretty much at this time of year." Edward replied in a far-of sounding voice. "It'll snow soon enough."

Roy wanted to ask what Edward had come out here to think about, but he decided against it. For some reason he felt that he wouldn't get an answer anyway. So he settled for something else. "So where's this llama of yours?"

Edward chuckled lightly, "out front I expect. Miss Wiesel would have been followed around by him until she was off the property. Would you like to meet him?"

Roy looked out at the rain. "Are we going out into that?"

Edward shuddered at the thought. "I should say not. I don't feel like getting wet right now. I don't want my gears to get wet. I'll call him to us." And Edward stepped away from the railing a bit, and half raised a hand to his mouth before giving Roy a pointed look. "Better cover your ears."

Roy did so, and found that it was a good thing he had. Even covering his ears the sharp whistle Edward had let out seemed like it could be heard at a great distance even over lots of other noise. "Thanks for the warning." He muttered as he brought his hands away from his ears.

Edward smiled faintly. "You'll need to learn how to do the same. It helps if you ever need to get a taxi. Anyway he'll try to bite you, just whack him on the nose."

Roy was distracted from answering as through the gray mist of the falling rain towards the left where a short flight of steps led down into the grass, came the undeniable shape of a llama. The animal bounded up the steps, its cloven hooves slopping wetly against the granite as it pranced over to Roy, eyeing him with suspicion. Roy was quick enough to jerk his arm out of reach and whacked him as instructed when the animal attempted to nip him. He could tell he was only being tested, as the llama had given him time to move out of the way.

The llama sneezed, and gave a shake of his head while letting out a noise similar to a cat yowling.

"Nitro." Edward summoned firmly, holding out a hand to the animal.

Nitro gave Roy one last mistrustful look before prancing over gaily to his owner and shoving his wet nose into the hand as if asking for praise.

"You're a good guard. But be nice to Roy, he's my guest." Edward said firmly as he held Nitro by both ears. His grip was not tight, but it kept Nitro from moving his head unless Edward moved it himself.

Roy watched in amusement as Edward locked eyes with the animal, almost like they were silently communicating and having a battle of wills. As it turned out, and not surprisingly so, Edward was the more willful of the two. "He's interesting. But why didn't he really try and attack me?"

"Because I was not giving any sign that he should." Edward answered as he gave the llama a pat on its head and fully released him. "I trust you completely. If I didn't, he would have tried to trample you. Among other things."

Roy slowly extended a hand to Nitro as the llama approached him again. He felt a bit foolish, but the llama gratified him by lowering his head to sniff at the hand in interest. "I like him. I don't like big animals… but he's okay." He said as his eyes swept over the muddy and rain drenched brown and white mottled coat of the spirited llama.

Edward smiled as he watched them interact. "You're one of the few people who think so. But I wouldn't have him any other way." And he smirked a bit as the llama suddenly turned and bolted down off the terrace again and vanishing at a rapid clip into the rain and around the chateau. "Thomas must be here."

"Can Thomas handle him?" Roy wondered as he followed Edward back indoors.

"Thomas is one of the few people that Nitro will only watch carefully." Edward explained as they walked through the gray-lit ballroom together.

"That's fortunate." Roy mumbled to himself as he walked along with Edward quietly. It seemed that he was about to meet Edward's personal assistant. That could prove to be very intriguing. He already approved of the man's character from the first time he'd seen him. It would be interesting to see if his second opinion would be the same now that he might have a chance to speak with Thomas.


	9. Chapter 9

To the people still reviewing... I figure a lot of people have either become lurkers, want to make me bash my head into the wall, or are still on vacation.

Shikon: If I ever find a guard llama, I'll let you know so you can come and buy it.

Haert: What sort of action? Kissing action, or action action?

Addict: Belgians did the world a favor when they made their waffles.

Koneko: Do I need to add in a Roy and Ed in the gym segment soon for you so you can lose weight as well by reading?

Lizche: Thank you, I am glad you liked it.

anmb: Oh yay! I love glass llama thingy-bobbers! Actually I just love glass anything. I'm a glass nut.

GreedxEd: I'll send you a care package of waffles and random Greed/Ed smut.

mrawgirl: I can't recall the last time I had the place to myself. I remember it being nice though. I shall have to send you waffles as well I suppose.

roy-rules: Me? Foreshadow? Now why would you think I'd ever do that... -kicks Believe In Me out of sight-

SomethingOfImportance: That's good news, for me at least. Crimson elixer... wine? ...Yeah, I'm a bit clueless sometimes. Blame it on the fact I got hit on the head recently.

E: Want to switch places? You can have this aweful sun and I'll take the rain and snow.

Phoenix: Less to rip off... so why not.

Angyl: Ah, my newest reviewer, thank you for not lurking. I actually have the story written up into the twenties... which is not good I should be farther ahead but oh well. I normally update every day but the past few weeks with holidays have been difficult. I hope you keep enjoying the story.

* * *

Off the painkillers again for right now. So my head is clear enough to get more stuff uploaded. Those of you who don't know, I sliced my foot open and had to go to the hospital to get it glued back together. Yeah, glued. Tetanus shots are as fun as I remember. So I can't bear weight on most of my right foot and am off and on in lots of pain hence the strength of the painkillers that knock me into la-la land after I take them.

Oh, and my wound is leaking again. Isn't that fun.

* * *

Chapter Nine

**Toronto**

Alphonse grabbed his brown leather satchel that contained all his reporting materials and slung the strap over his shoulder. He spared a glance at the phone, before grabbing his wallet and leaving his hotel room. Making his way to the elevator he shoved the wallet into the pocket of his black denim jacket and then used that hand to stifle a yawn.

He had stayed up late last night after dinner thinking about his brother's phone call the previous night. He had been torn between staying here and going back to London to help with things. After mulling it over though, he decided it would be best to let his brother sort this one out on his own. It was his brother's past, and future. His brother needed to deal with it. And besides, it wasn't like Roy wasn't there to help as well. He just hoped that Roy could accept the whole truth once he was told. Or found out on his own. For his brother's sake, he hoped it wasn't the latter of the two.

Exiting the elevator now Alphonse made his way through the crowded morning lobby of the massive hotel. People checking in, checking out, and loitering for different reasons made getting through the lobby in the mornings a chore. Make it though he did, and he set out down the sidewalk.

He had a meeting at nine with the vice president of the company who owned the engineering development he was writing the article on. Until then, he had time to explore Toronto. The last place he had been to hadn't been as tourist-ee as this city, so he was excited to finally see some sights.

Like the typical tourist, Alphonse was soon clicking away on his camera.

Eventually he stowed his camera away in his bag. He was getting hungry, and he supposed he should go get some breakfast before it got too late. He still had about an hour until he absolutely had to be to his scheduled interview. That left him plenty of time to find and eat at a nice place.

After some time spent wandering around the streets he soon found himself being drawn by some of the most delicious smells he'd ever encountered. After having spent half his life not being able to smell, he knew a good scent of food when he smelled it.

Which was how he ended up standing in front of a brickwork bakery with open glass windows. The sign above the bakery read: ''

As Alphonse walked in he glanced around at the wooden tables and their chairs before he walked up towards the glass display cases. Behind them were counters filled with loaves of bread, and behind that he could see a kitchen. The glass cases had almost every baked good he'd ever seen, and some he hadn't.

"Visiting? I haven't seen you here before."

Alphonse froze, his eyes staring at the cinnamon-butter puffs. That voice… he _knew_ that voice. But he hadn't heard it in so long… the last time he had it had been trying to warn him right before…

"Hey, you okay?"

Al jerked his gaze away from the puffs and turned his eyes onto someone he never thought he'd see again. "Sorry, it's… déjà vu." He explained in a breathless voice.

Standing behind the counter was the mirror image of Marta. Right down to the baggy pants and a black shirt. She was dusted in a liberal coating of flour even in her shortly cropped dark blonde hair. And she was eyeing Alphonse as if not quite sure what to make of him.

Alphonse looked away with a faint smile. "Don't mind me."

"Well you are a customer." She pointed out. "So you feel like you've seen me before or something?"

"Something like that." Alphonse replied as he looked over the strudels. "A memory, really."

"Is this memory a good memory?" She asked with a bit of a smile as she rested one elbow on the glass case Al was looking through.

"Bittersweet." Alphonse corrected and looked up into her green eyes. "Could I ask your name?"

"Marta." She answered, "my mother wanted to name me Martel," -she grimaced-, "luckily I got off with being just Marta."

Alphonse smiled, he'd known her as both back then. It seemed she hadn't changed too much. Sometimes it varied with the person… sometimes you got lucky. "I'm Alphonse. Al, really."

"Well Al," Marta smiled at him, "I hope you remember why I seem familiar. In the mean time have you chosen anything yet?"

Alphonse glanced down into the case again. "Two of the cinnamon-butter puffs. My brother likes to make them around this time of year. He's been busy though with work so he hasn't yet." And Al doubted that his brother would be doing so anytime soon anyway. Not with Roy there.

"Your brother huh? What is he busy with at work that he can't bake?" Marta asked as she opened the case.

"Now even more stuff." Alphonse rolled his eyes. "Hopefully by the time I go back home things will have settled down."

Marta ducked down to get the puffs. "Where are you from?"

"London." Alphonse answered simply.

"You don't have an accent."

"Neither do you." Alphonse replied candidly.

Marta laughed as she straightened with a paper bag. "Good point. So are you from somewhere else originally?"

Alphonse nodded. "Nowhere near as fun as London though."

"So what brings you here?" Marta asked as she walked the paper sack over to her flour dusted register.

"Work. I'm a reporter for a newspaper in London. I'm doing a very dull story." He assured her with a bit of a laugh. "But it pays my bills and the traveling isn't so bad."

Marta nodded as she punched in some numbers. "So you'll be wanting your receipt then."

"If it's not any trouble." Al smiled, and shelled out money for his breakfast.

Marta nodded as she put away the money and passed him the receipt. "Figured it out yet?"

"What's that?" Al asked as he pocketed the receipt and grabbed his paper bag of food. He cast her a questioning look as he made to leave, though he was reluctant to.

Marta leaned her arms on the counter beside the register and fixed Alphonse with a thoughtful gaze. "Why I seem familiar to you."

Alphonse smiled, but it was a sad smile. He hadn't thought he'd ever see her again. He had known it was possible if the timing were right, but he had not held out much hope to see old friends again. He was beginning to understand now how Edward had felt when he'd first met Raymond. A sort of bittersweet happiness and the weight of a loneliness that they would never know the past. "Do you believe in a past life, Marta?"

She blinked at him, clearly not having expected that. "Never given much thought to it. Why? Is that what you think your little déjà vu thing is?"

"In my life, I've come to see that the things we believe to be impossible actually aren't." Al told her. "Thank you for the food, I'm sure I'll enjoy it." He said and quickly left.

Alphonse shook his head with a sigh as he walked across the street to sit on a circular wall there which contained a fountain several neighborhood cats were trying not to fall into as they drank. Getting comfortable he pulled out one puff and began to eat on it while he stared around at the foot traffic.

He was happy to see she had been reborn here in this world after her untimely murder. His eyes darkened sadly as he recalled the day. It was a horrible feeling to know he hadn't been able to protect her, that she'd died inside of him. Even though he hadn't been able to feel her dead weight, her blood pooling inside of him, it was not a pleasant memory to bear. Only the times where they'd actually had fun together made it all seem brighter.

It seemed that Marta was happy, and he was glad of that. She deserved that, and while he wished she'd been deposited here with her memories, he was just glad to see her again. It had reopened a lot of old feelings that had been buried over the years, and in a way he was glad of it. She had been a dear friend… and he felt close to her, it had been impossible not to.

"Let's just hope she doesn't meet the Pride of this world, huh?" Alphonse told one of the cats as he reached out to pet it with a fond smile.

Luckily he knew that the Pride of this world was pirating off the Caribbean coast. That was a fair distance from Toronto, so he figured Marta would be safe from a repeat.

Alphonse finished his breakfast and tossed his paper bag into a nearby trash bin before he began to make his way to the business district of the city.

It was a long walk, but Al didn't mind. That and he was used to walking. Back in Amestris they'd walked practically everywhere, and living in London you usually hoofed it as well. He covered the distance relatively quickly, even with plenty of other pedestrians.

He reached the ten story glass building that took up nearly an entire block on its own and made his way past security and to one of the many elevators. It was a relatively short ride up to the top floor where he stepped into the hallway of the executive offices. There, someone came to greet him.

"Mister Elric, you're right on time."

"I'm odd like that I know." He smiled at the man. "How are you today Ken?"

"Hung over." Ken admitted as he began to lead the way down the hall. "What about yourself?"

Alphonse smiled wryly. "Wishing I was hung over. I'm tired, spent a lot of time last night thinking about stuff."

"Girl?"

"No, my brother."

Ken's mouth formed an 'o' of understanding. "The politician, right?"

"He wouldn't call himself that." Alphonse corrected, "my brother is an advisor. They have those at colleges, but they're not politicians. My brother just so happens to be advising a political bunch."

"I see, well, here you are." Ken nodded to him and departed.

Alphonse watched him go before he entered the office with a knock to the door.

"Ah, Mister Elric, you're here."

"Hello Mister Nix." Alphonse smiled as he took the seat in the spacious office that he was directed to. He'd already been here yesterday, which meant he wouldn't have to come back until the prototype would be shown to him. And that was in about a week.

"Strange news coming out of London. Something about Raymond-"

"Raymond is dead, the man who turned up yesterday is named Roy. He's an old friend of the family." Alphonse said before the man could launch into any Raymond business.

"Oh I see," Mister Nix deflated, "now about the invention…-"

An hour later Alphonse was leaving the building with his notebook and tape recorder a bit fuller than they had been. He should go back to his hotel room and start formulating the article, but he decided against it in lieu of continuing to explore the city. However he didn't want to carry all his stuff around all day either.

So back to the hotel he went.

Dumping his things there he changed into jeans and a white t-shirt before heading out again. He saw no need to be all dressed up when he had no more important people to go see today. Exiting the hotel he looked up and down the streets to decide which way to go.

"That's a pretty fancy place for a reporter working on a boring article to stay."

Alphonse laughed, and turned around to see Marta eyeing him with interest as her arms folded over her chest. "I didn't choose it, they did. And since they're paying I might as well."

"So do reporters who report on boring stuff get the fancy things?" Marta asked him with a smirk.

Alphonse shook his head. "Just the ones who have ties to Parliament and the aristocracy. It's rather like they're trying to bribe me into guiltily telling them insider knowledge."

Marta let her arms fall to her sides as her green eyes looked him up and down. "So what are you, some lord who is trying to lead a normal life?"

Alphonse shuddered at the mere thought. "No to the first. Yes to the second. I am certainly no lord and never wish to be."

"So how are you connected to them if your boss is trying to bribe you?"

"My brother." Alphonse explained in short. "He's the head advisor to the prime minister."

Marta slowly nodded. "You're Alphonse Elric then?"

"Yeah." Al replied with a smile. "So what are you doing around here?"

"I have to go buy flours." Marta said as she looked up the street past Al before looking back at him. "If you're not going anywhere in particular you could come with me." She suggested.

"Flowers for who?" Al asked with a smile.

Mata laughed, "bread flours, silly. Not pretty flowers."

Alphonse laughed as well. "I'll buy the pretty flowers then, shall I?" He smiled at the look she gave him, and laughed again. "Sorry, that was really bad I know."

Marta smirked at him. "You're odd. First you go on about déjà vu and past lives, then you offer to buy flowers." She shook her head and walked past him. "Come on then, I like tulips."

Alphonse watched her walk with a smile, before hurrying after her feeling considerably more light of heart than he had in over a decade. What the hell… if he'd learned anything from before, it was not to waste time. It could be taken away in a blink of the eyes. As far as he was concerned, Marta deserved some flowers. She'd been a good friend to him.


	10. Chapter 10

DN: Yes you do see them in the future. That's a very nice crystal ball you have.

Bar-Ohki: Al needs some happiness, he's so adorable.

Angyl: I hope I am loved. But yeah, I tend to to and be at least ten chapters ahead at minimum. I'm strange that way.

Addict: Well when it rains it pours. Hopefully I won't get injured for a while now, I think I met my quota.

Koneko: Hmm... I'll have to see what happened with the bakery sign. It's in the Word document so maybe the site messed with it. And there you go, that's the perfect diet for you. But you're right, that is a fantastic image.

anmb: a bucket? Yay! I shall wear it on my head. And yes, Al is not an innocent fluffy bunny anymore.

Deanna: Yes, there are hints and foreshadowing. Just because I love doing them.

B.D.: Can't wait till I get my laptop back so I can update daily again. It's driving me nuts not being able to. Yes, painkillers suck. I'm finally off of them at long last.

Lizche: Yes she is, and it only felt short because the previous chapter was 14 pages... I think. Pretty sure. They vary in this story based on where I need to cut it off for the story.

Shawn: Yeah... it did suck, that'd about be it.

roy-rules: She's a baker because I felt like making her a baker. If you haven't noticed I talk a lot about food in the stories... so I couldn't help turning someone into a baker. And she actually kind of seems like the baking type to me, for some odd reason.

GreedxEd: Thank you, I hope you felt spoiled.

Viskii: You crack me up, seriously. Yes, I think I need to see what happened to the type with the bakery sign. It's in the Word document so I dunno. Your reviews are far from stupid though, because they do cheer me up.

Shikon: I can't tell you that yet -grins-

Emaleya: Yes it is, yes he is, and I chose Toronto because I've always wanted to visit there. So as I'm doing my research on Toronto and where Al can go (that existed in 1950), I am sort of planning my own vacation.

E: What about dessert?

Lamia: Oh I know what you mean. Bakeries are heavenly.

Embers: So that means I can't kill her off?

Paon: Who knows, who knows... except for maybe me -runs off cackling-

Phoenix: Yay! Belated happy birthday cake time! Happy birthday -tacklehugs-

Lost: It'll happen again eventually. And not just jumping to Al and Ed. So hang on for the rollercoaster and the sudden drops.

SomethingOfImportance: Yay for Marta, and thanks.

Mary: I do have adventures... klutzy ones a lot of the time.

secret25: Well I'm glad that Al and Marta have another fan cheering for them.

* * *

Okay, I finally have some time to update. Yay! Now, to business...

Belated happy birthday goes out to Phoenix To Flame. We shall serve cake! Someone go get my cake... anywho while we're waiting...

News on my foot! I ended up peeling the glue off because it got infected underneath and the last thing I wanted was an infection festering underneath the glue. So off the glue came followed by an oozey mess. Now I am finally starting to scab over and have progressed to being able to put a bit of weight on it while standing and I walked two steps on it today bearing my full weight. And then I swore like a sailor. So I am progressing with the walking thing.

Now, time for cake, and some reading!

* * *

Chapter Ten

Upon exiting the ballroom Roy went to sit by himself on the staircase, thinking it better that he watch from a distance right now. Years of observing people to get a feel for them was a habit that did not go away. He had observed Thomas from afar, and so far he approved of the man. He would do some last minute observing of the red haired and surprisingly shorter-than-Edward man before he actually exchanged words with the guy.

Edward glanced over his shoulder once to see Roy taking a seat. He knew what Roy was doing, but it didn't bother him. He often did the same thing at parties. Sometimes being the wallflower had its benefits when it came to getting a better grasp on how a person actually was. He could have been offended that Roy didn't trust his judgment of assistant, but he wasn't. He knew better than to be offended.

Reaching the door he fiddled with the lock before heaving it open to let in his drenched personal assistant. "Morning Thomas."

"Good morning Mister Elric, sir." Thomas said as he entered in his ungainly looking way. At least it appeared his red hair had finally been tamed by the massive amounts of water soaking it. "Sometimes it's hard to tell which is wetter." Thomas complained as he began to pull off his jacket. "The rain, or that bloody llama of yours that's been soaked in the rain."

Edward smirked as he watched Thomas hang up his jacket to dry. "Did Nitro try and hug you again?"

"Hug. Ha-ha." Thomas muttered and pulled off his shoes. "What can I do for you? Coffee, breakfast-"

"I thought he wasn't a servant?" Roy asked from where he'd been sitting discreetly on the stairs.

"Holy shit!" Thomas put a hand over his heart. "Don't you make any bloody noise? Even a 'hello'?"

Roy smirked and spread his hands. "Hello."

Edward chuckled and rolled his eyes at Roy. "He's not." And he turned to Thomas. "Already taken care of that stuff, but I'll let you know. I actually need your help with something else."

Thomas nodded in a firm manner, ready to tackle anything his boss had him do. Edward was smart, and he stood to learn a lot by helping him with whatever task. He wanted to be a good politician, and Edward, though not a politician by trade, was smart in their ways. "Name it."

Edward motioned for Thomas to follow him, and they walked over to where Roy had stood up. "Thomas, this is Roy Mustang. He's an old friend of mine from over a decade ago."

Thomas extended a hand automatically, but with enthusiasm. "A friend, you're a lucky man Mister Mustang."

Roy clasped the offered hand, finding the other man's grip pleasingly firm. Despite Thomas's apparent enthusiasm he was a confident man. "Yes, Edward was never the type to have many close friends."

Edward glared.

Thomas smiled and took his hand back. "One of the things I like about him. He doesn't try to please everyone. He has plenty of enemies after all."

"Always has. But he's a good person deep down."

"Okay!" Edward interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "I think that's enough ass kissing for today."

Roy winked at Edward before turning back to Thomas. "How long have you been working for Edward?"

"Gosh," Thomas looked thoughtful, "must be going on eight years now."

Edward nodded an affirmative. "Will be eight years come May." And he glanced at the large grandfather clock set by the wall opposite the coat closet. "We have less than an hour. So to the library."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Roy muttered to himself as he turned around and began to climb the stairs.

Edward cracked a smile and followed after him, Thomas taking up the rear.

In the library, Roy, instead of taking a seat on one of the couches or armchairs chose to sit at the piano. He was facing the rest of the room but the fingers of his left hand brushed over the keys to draw the faintest of notes. He had always felt comforted by the presence of the large musical instrument. Not that he needed comfort precisely, but he needed familiarity right now.

Edward sat on a couch while waving Thomas to take a seat, which he soon did across from Edward. "I'm going to need your help arranging for Roy to be permitted to come to the funeral with me." He said as he clasped his hands together. "I know it's something I'd normally do myself but I have…" Edward's mouth quirked up in a faltering smile. "I have a lot to get done all of a sudden and not a lot of time to do it in since Al isn't here to help me."

Thomas nodded in understanding. "I'll get to work on it."

"And," Edward said as he got up to retrieve an envelope from between two books, "I need you to give this to Scott Luca down at the automotive division. It's very important that no one else sees what's in here, and very important that I don't go myself. It'd attract far too much attention and right now I'm trying to avoid attention."

Thomas took hold of the envelope, pocketing it immediately in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. It was not the first time he'd been asked to do things that his boss wanted to be kept under the covers as much as possible. He knew what to do, and he knew Edward trusted him to do it. "I'll go down today while the reporters are still working on the results of the press conference you called."

Roy watched as Edward accepted the answer, and his eyes drifted back over to Thomas. From what he'd seen, as his fingers continued to coax out wavering notes of faint music, Thomas seemed quite adept at performing his job as an assistant to Edward. Nothing was fazing him so far. And by all appearances Thomas was not putting on any acts. He felt that Thomas was trustworthy, and he could see that Edward felt the same.

"Can I ask something?" Thomas ventured as Edward went to sit back down.

Edward nodded, and waved a hand in a gesture of giving permission.

Thomas looked over at Roy now with curious eyes. "What was it you called Mister Elric? Back when you first showed up."

Roy smirked, and glanced over at Edward who shrugged in answer. "Just a nickname I used to have for him. I guess it proved who I was. Raymond never would have known it."

"That's lucky then." Thomas said with a smile. "Does he have a nickname for you too then?"

"Bastard." They both answered together, and their eyes met as they smiled at one another.

Thomas blinked, not having heard of anyone ever having a nickname of a word like that. Yet if his boss had been the one to give that calling to Roy… it didn't surprise him. "I think I'll opt to not call you that myself."

"Probably a good idea. He has a temper too." Edward chuckled as his eyes continued to rest on Roy. "Admirably he doesn't get angry easily, so that's fortunate."

Roy smirked back at him. "One of us had to have a cool head. You're the one who lost his temper every time I made height jokes."

"Not a quick learner, were you." Edward glowered, "and I was never short. You were all just giants, and your ego stunted my growth. It was oppressive."

Roy wagged a finger at him. "No, it was the lack of milk in your diet that stunted your growth."

Thomas smiled and sat back further in his seat as he listened to the two of them. From what he observed, his boss and Roy got along very well together. It was a light hearted banter that they were swapping, but he couldn't help but detect an undercurrent of some sort of regret between them.

"I refuse to let you tease me any further about the milk." Edward said imperiously, earning a laugh from Roy in return. "I'll have you know I've decided I can live with it as long as it's mixed into something else so I can't taste it. I am not about to give up cakes because they require dairy."

"At least you're slowly seeing the light." Roy replied with a teasing smile.

Edward considered him thoughtfully for a moment before smiling briefly and then turning to Thomas. "I have to finish getting prepared for the press conference."

Thomas nodded, taking the hint and standing up. "Do you want me to meet you there, sir?"

"Yes." Edward answered, "and make sure there are plenty of guards stationed for crowd control."

"Will do." Thomas replied and nodded to his boss before looking over at Roy. "I look forward to seeing you again." He said, and promptly left the library in his swinging and ungainly gait that caused his arms to move around in an odd fashion.

"I can see why you trust him." Roy remarked as his hand continued to brush over the keys fondly.

Edward nodded as he stood up. "He wants to be a politician. Once an opening comes up that he wants I've told him to go for it. I hate to lose him, but this country needs someone like him."

"He seems trustworthy, which is strange for a politician."

"He's not so much trustworthy, as he is loyal to me." Edward said as he walked over, past Roy, and up to the window to stare out into the drizzle of rain. "He'll be a trustworthy politician because of that loyalty. That and the fact he sort of idolizes me."

"You always did know how to get the people to follow you, O' Hero of the People." Roy smiled as he turned around to watch Edward closely.

Edward glanced over at him with a bit of a laugh and a smile. "You realize that I earned that stupid title because I disobeyed your orders so much, right?"

Roy smirked, "glad I could be of service. However I'm sure you realize I allowed your insubordination."

"Of course." Edward turned to face him. "Alphonse once told me that you and I communicated a lot of the time without using words. We both knew what the other was doing, and we had our unspoken agreement that it was okay."

"A lot of the time, yes, we did." Roy replied as he looked up at Edward thoughtfully. "I missed that, you know. With you gone things just weren't as fun anymore, not as mentally stimulating."

"Did you ever find a replacement alchemist for me?" Edward asked him as he sat down on the piano bench next to Roy.

Roy gave him an incredulous look. "Find a replacement for _you_? Edward, no one could have replaced you to me."

Edward had turned his head so he was staring out the window. His gold eyes darkening in regret and memory. Closing them for a moment he willed himself strength and stood up. He didn't have time to dwell on it right now. He had too much to do. Too much to accomplish for Roy before he _could_ take time to try and heal himself. "Okay, general rules for the press conference if you want to make it out of there today in one piece."

Roy sensed something wasn't right again with Edward, and while he had a suspicion as to what it was, he didn't say anything. They had limited time, and while in the ideal world he would say 'screw the rules, talk to me', this was not a world either of them would call ideal. He had a lot to learn, and after the press conference then he could take the time to sit Edward down and talk with him about what was bothering him again.

"First, don't say anything unless I give up the microphones to you." Edward began as he started to pace the floor. "Don't leave my side, probably until tomorrow. And even then I'd be careful, but I'm not too worried about anyone hurting you. I'd be more worried about them."

Roy had to smirk a bit at that.

"If you do say anything at the conference today, speak very clearly so they don't try and screw your words up. Don't mention anything about where we're really from. Including anything about you once having been a Fuhrer. Even I might have a hard time sorting that one out."

"Why is that?"

"You'll soon learn about it, but the last well known Fuhrer in this world wasn't exactly a person of your moral integrity." Edward said summarily. "I'd met him a few times, wasn't too impressed. Especially considering he wanted to use me as an experiment. But anyway that's beside the point for right now."

Roy rather got the idea about this Fuhrer who Edward was referring to. Apparently they were exact opposites. "Was this Fuhrer one of the homunculi reborn here? Pride, perhaps?" He asked lightly.

Edward shook his head. "It wouldn't have surprised me, but no. The homunculi we know as Pride is a pirate captain in the Caribbean. He's actually not too bad a guy in this world, he's been very hospitable to Al and I. Though he doesn't much like anyone else who's not a member of his crew."

"Sounds like this one is the better half of the Pride I killed."

"Yes, but this one still probably could have made you lose an eye." Edward pointed out. "Just use your common sense today while we're around other people. Today is one of the most important days of your life here, so try not to mess it up."

"I'll try not to let you down." Roy promised instead, it had a nicer ring to it.

Edward smiled at him. "You haven't yet, Roy. Somehow I doubt you'll start now." He replied and glanced out the window again. "We should be leaving. I have a feeling that the traffic will be a mess because of the rain. You'd think that living here everyone would know how to drive in the rain, but sometimes idiots are just idiots no matter what."

Soon Roy was in the car with Edward, and they were backing out of the driveway. In fact, Edward backed out the whole way, something Roy found very amusing. But he had to admit that Edward was a good driver. A definite change from the disaster he'd been in Amestris, there was a reason he'd never offered the blond a company car. They backed smoothly out of the open gates, and Edward parked the car so he could get out and lock his gates back up.

As he did so, Roy looked around to see guards getting back into their cars. The press were no where to be seen, he figured they'd already high-tailed it to the conference. Wherever it was.

As Edward got back in he waited for one of the police vehicles to pull in front of him before he started off. The other fell in at the rear. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten an escort somewhere, and while normally it annoyed him, today he was glad of it.

"Someone's important. You're just an advisor." Roy teased as he looked around as the scenery flew by.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Head advisor, thank you very much. And my boss doesn't exactly want to lose me."

"I was Fuhrer, and I walked home on my own just fine and ruled my country in a military issue uniform of second-rate material. This is a bit… over the top." Roy pointed out as he turned to Edward.

Edward chuckled, "again, welcome to this world. They fret over the strangest things. If the leaders were decent and liked as you were, they'd not need to worry about security like this. That and you weren't exactly someone to tangle with when you could summon fire in less than a second."

"And the clothes?"

"They think very highly of their appearance here." Edward answered. "These people just don't live a lifestyle, they buy it. I think I'm one of the few who actually only dresses up when I have to and looks normal the rest of the time. I don't care about my appearance like they do. They care about my brain, not my clothes. Though I do understand when it is appropriate to wear something more formal."

"Only took you half your life." Roy remarked.

"Shut up."

Roy merely smiled.

Soon they pulled into the same parking lot from before nearby the Parliament building which still impressed the hell out of Roy. There their escort broke off, and Edward parked the car. Getting out Edward handed Roy an umbrella, and took one for himself. It was still raining after all, and he'd rather not get wet.

"My fate's in your capable hands, Fullmetal." Roy said with a grin. "Do try not to screw me over."

Edward nearly blushed. "I'll do my best." He managed to say and began walking. "Remember, stay with me."

Roy rolled his eyes and hurried after the blond. "You're the military dog, not I. I do not heel." He whispered to him as he fell in beside Edward.

Edward grinned at the notion. "And yet, you are. Good boy."

"Shut up, Elric." Roy growled, and shoved him playfully.

Edward laughed as he caught his balance. "Right, sorry. I know you're not."

"Sure." Roy said in a tone that clearly disbelieved what Edward had said.

Together they began to make their way towards the College Green and past the many people who Edward knew and nodded to. Yet the blond said nothing, and nor did they make much of a response, they were too busy eyeing Roy up and down. Only the advisors under Edward came up to greet him.

"Roy, these are the other advisors." Edward said and quickly introduced them.

Roy was glad that there were only five. "Nice to meet all of you." He said as he finished shaking hands with, from the right, Henry, Marvin, Keith, Brent, and Jacob.

They were all the politician sort, they had the proper aura. Yet Roy only had a chance to barely glance them over and decide they were not as trustworthy as Thomas before Edward hauled him away.

"You don't like them much, do you." Roy noted quietly.

"Not much, no." Edward smiled faintly. "But it's not in my power to dismiss them, even if I am head advisor. That's up to Charles, and their families are too well connected to make Charles want to dismiss them."

"That's a spineless reason."

"I know. But please try not to call my boss spineless in his presence."

"I'll see what I can do."

Edward rolled his eyes, "good, because there he is."

By the time they reached Charles Kain, the only people still making a lot of noise were the press. Everyone else seemed to have fallen silent as they looked on the strange scene. Apparently the head advisor trusted this man who looked like Raymond, but few of them were convinced that it actually wasn't the traitor.

"Charles." Edward greeted, and the two exchanged their version of the 'man hug' before Edward turned to Roy. "Roy, this is Charles Kain."

Roy looked the man over sharply, sizing him up even as he extended a hand. "Roy Mustang." He filled in as he came to understand why Edward was so relied on by this man. While Charles seemed a good person, he had a somewhat weak sort of disposition. Something that Edward could easily make up for.

Charles withdrew his hand after nearly having his fingers crushed in the firm grip. "That's what Edward tells me. I must say you bear an unfortunate but uncanny resemblance to-"

"He knows." Edward interjected smoothly. "I doubt he's forgotten his treatment by our hands yesterday morning."

"I'm sure I have the bruises somewhere." Roy smirked at him before looking back at Charles. "One cannot choose their family I'm afraid, but I chose well when I chose Edward as a friend. I'm sure you can agree."

Charles nodded immediately. "Edward is a good man."

"Not this again." Edward muttered, and ignored the amused look Roy shot his way.

"Family you say?" Charles questioned with interest.

Edward cleared his throat before anything more could be said or asked. "Sorry sir, it's nearly time. I'm afraid I have to borrow Roy."

Roy smiled to himself as Edward led him off without hardly giving him a chance to say goodbye to Charles. He was fairly certain it had come out as more of a squeak than words. "I do love this side of you. Though it has definitely developed since we last saw each other."

"Which side?" Edward asked as he led Roy up onto the podium platform and pointed to a spot on his right hand side.

Roy stood there obediently and angled his umbrella better over his head. "Knowing what you want, and knowing how to get it."

"I rather learned how to get what I want from trying to get it from a stubborn ass like yourself." Edward smirked, "everyone else is easy compared to you. I don't like to be pushed around, you know that."

Roy smiled over at him. "So I did you a favor. I require a thank you."

Edward snickered and pulled out from a pocket a folded piece of paper from a legal pad, and placed it onto the podium. "This is your thank you, me saving your ass from persecution until Raymond's body gets here."

"Mmm you're welcome."

Edward bit back a laugh and tried not to smile. He nodded to Thomas as the red-headed man hustled over looking as possessed as always and handed off his umbrella which Thomas took to holding over his head while at the same time using his own to keep himself dry.

Roy tried not to be amused.

Edward waited a moment as everyone found their places, and he turned on the microphones, before he gave a nod to the reporters. "Thank you all for coming today on such short notice. At the end of yesterday's press conference many of you witnessed something that did not make a lot of sense, and it didn't to me until I understood what was happening. I have called everyone here to lay to rest the suspicion and doubt, and shed light on the facts. I ask that you save all questions until I've finished my statement, at which time you may then pose your questions."

Roy felt a flicker of pride. No doubt Edward was the one in control here, and from what he had seen so far, Edward just may be able to pull this off easily. If he was as well respected and liked as Roy got the feeling he was, then Edward's word would be trusted.

"I need not explain why the man you see beside me today was accused of crimes against the country. Unfairly accused, even by myself until I saw the truth. Raymond's betrayal is not a subject any of us like," Edward' eyes darkened momentarily, "especially myself. However, he betrayed not just his fellow people and country, but his family. His father, and half-brother."

Roy had to admit perhaps these people weren't all stupid as a murmur of shock ran through the crowd. It seemed Edward was well on his way to a successful conclusion.

"His father killed himself in grief, but his half-brother stands with us here today in defiance of his sibling's treachery."

Roy had to fight years of practice not to say 'those are some big words for a short man'. Which then meant he had to fight not to burst out laughing. Somehow that didn't seem to fit the mood.

"It has taken him many years to come here, and then to learn of what his brother has done. But he comes here now to clear his face and name of the stain his sibling has placed upon the family bloodline. The child of a mistress, he was orphaned when his mother was killed and the father left without claiming him. Soon after he left his home in Russia to pursue a musical career. Which was when I met him. I never thought I'd see him again, assuming he'd also died in that dark time. He is here now, seeking your understanding that his likeness to his sibling does not make him the same person. He has my unconditional trust, and now I ask that he have yours."

Roy smiled faintly at him, ignoring the flashes of light from cameras, and reporters chatting into their video cameras rapidly. He'd known Edward trusted him, but it had a different feel to it when it was said to the press for mass publication.

Edward glanced over at him, feeling the eyes on his back. Meeting Roy's eyes he smiled back before turning back around to begin taking questions. He was going to try to keep Roy from speaking as much as possible. Though he trusted Roy wouldn't slip up, he didn't trust that some of the reporters wouldn't try and mess with what Roy said. Now if he himself was quoted incorrectly, usually there was hell to pay thanks to Alphonse who would gladly smear their name and cause them to lose a lot of respect in the journalism community.

"I have a question."

Edward's eyes flickered over and then away from the owner of the voice. "You are not a member of the press. You will wait to pose questions until after I have adjourned the conference."

However Fane Banciu was not deterred that easily. "If this man is a bastard child, why do you bring him here?"

Roy instantly decided that he did not like this man, and he instantly zeroed in on the politician with the sallow skin and mismatched looking limbs. And he could sense that Edward had no love for this person either.

However any dislike Edward had he did not let it show in his posture. "Personally, I'd rather have the bastard child here, than the non-bastard child who turned traitor. If you have any complaints, I'm sure you can lament them to Raymond's body when it is brought here for burial. And just in case it missed your notice, ambassador, we're not living in the medieval times. Segregation like you're suggesting, although not surprising coming from you, is unlawful in this age. Now, any further questions of yours will have to wait, or I'll have the guards remove you from the premises."

There was a smattering of laughter from some of the gathered people, a few whispers here and there, but overall no one looked about to chastise Edward for what he'd said. Charles Kain in particular appeared to be highly fascinated with something on the cuff of his jacket.

Fane sneered elegantly before turning on his heel and marching away with fuming strides.

Roy watched him go with a frown of not only dislike, but mistrust. There was something that made him feel… wrong… about that man. Whoever he was, that ambassador, Roy didn't need clarification to realize that he had just witnessed who one of Edward's enemies was. Silently he dared the man to try anything to harm Edward, he would not take such an offense nicely.

Edward answered a few more questions before he adjourned the press conference with words of thanks to the members. He then turned off all the microphones as he slipped away the statement he'd read off the paper. "Go take care of everything I asked you to this morning. I'm just going home anyway." Edward told Thomas as he took back his umbrella.

"Understood, Mister Elric." Thomas said and nodded to both he and Roy before hurrying away.

Edward then looked over at Roy, who was watching him. "I needn't ask if you picked up on some hostility."

"No." Roy answered as he walked over to join him. "There's something dark about him I don't like."

"I've felt it too." Edward sighed. "His name is Fane Banciu, he's the Romanian ambassador. I refuse to give him a meeting with Charles, and for that he has become a thorn pestering me."

"Why do you refuse?"

"Because I know what he wants to say, and it won't do him any good. He's better off not wasting Charles's time and making things even worse because he so happens to annoy the prime minister."

Roy frowned, "I suppose that means he won't have any love for me."

"That's a safe answer." Edward nodded and began to step down from the podium. "Now be alert, you're going to have to do some very delicate mingling and then we're getting the hell out of here. These people can be sensitive, so watch and learn quickly."

Roy followed after him with a nod and braced himself for what lay ahead. For some reason, he felt he preferred the battlefield.


	11. Chapter 11

Angyl: I have seen a lot of fun theories come up of what people think Raymond did/is to Edward. It's almost kind of a shame I can't use them.

Addict: The store? I need to go there... and buy milk. I am out of milk and that is not a good thing when I want to bake an orange/chocolate marble cake.

GreedxEd: I can arrange for Roy to attack Ed's feet with a broom... -grin-

anmb: Regular Dr. Seuss aren't you? And yay, cake!

roy-rules: Are the flowers you sent me edible? I'm hungry.

Embers: Oh fine, I'll keep Marta... hehe. And thank you, I am progressing a bit faster now with the walking again.

Paon: Well not quite what happens... but it does have some fluff.

B.D.: Secretly Ed's just planning how to screw them all over with their politics... I'm sure of it.

ferret: Oh I am so jealous. Did you have fun?

Shikon: I agree, socializing in our world is full of potholes.

mrawgirl: Thank goodness then that you checked your email. And no, the glue went on the open wound at the hospital. When I took it off it finally started to scab over.

Choas: I hope you enjoy the darkness, because I like Fane as an evil character... I like him and hate him, but he's my baby anyway.

Bar-Ohki: Or making fun of the political stuff.

Lost: With the way politicians are, I'd say he's right to be nervous.

E: How badly do they need to kiss... do you think?

Phoenix: A very sexy magnet for trouble. Which is sort of a double edged sword there.

Lamia: Cakes without milk are not fun, that's all I can say.

Lizche: Yay! I love writing the conversations. They can be so much fun. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

* * *

Not much news other than I have been forgetting to mention that I now have a very lovely fanart image for Shifting. To those who read the story, I recommend you go to my profile and click on the link for it. It's a very lovely piece of art.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

The rain was still unrelenting as Edward pulled out of the secure parking lot and back out onto the soaked streets of London. He shivered a bit and flicked on the heater despite his warm coat.

"Automail?" Roy guessed as he looked away from the glow on the pavement and to the shivering blond.

Edward nodded as he carefully sloshed the car through a large puddle that nearly sent the wave of water up over the windshield. "My leg is like ice. Going in and out of this weather isn't the best thing for it. But as no one can know I'm practically half made out of steel, I can't go around broadcasting my discomfort."

Roy considered the man for a moment, before he suddenly leaned forward so he could pull off his jacket. Quickly, before Edward even had time to protest, he reached over to lay the jacket over the blond's lap.

Edward looked over so quickly that he felt his neck should have dislocated. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Because I'm a mean bastard." Roy smirked at him. "And because I'm not as cold as you are."

"You nearly made me veer the car doing that." Edward glowered at him in an attempt to hide the flare of warm gratitude he felt.

Roy merely smiled back. "But you didn't, now did you? Though if you don't look ahead soon you might hit something." He pointed out.

Edward glared at him, but gave a quiet, short sort of laugh as he returned his attention to his driving, the coat on his legs doing him much good in the way of warming him… from Roy's body heat. Something he desperately tried not to think about seeking more of.

"I'm curious," Roy said as they drove further out of the city. "What are your plans for teaching me in a matter of days everything I need to know here?"

"I'm going to tell you about the essentials first. The current events sort of thing." Edward explained. "That'll give you a solid enough foundation. From there you're going to be doing a lot of reading, and I'll be doing a lot of talking while we're practicing on other stuff."

"What sort of stuff?" Roy asked.

Edward smirked at the question. "You'll soon find out. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. Else I just want to stay alive for a few days longer. You decide when the time comes."

"That sounds ominous." Roy remarked and went back to looking around outside at the weather. "Rather like this weather. You should quit your job and move to someplace less wet."

Edward actually laughed at that. "I've thought about it, and I may yet do so." He admitted, having only admitted this to Alphonse before now. "I have enough money to just be retired for the rest of my life, and several other lives."

"So what's stopping you?" Roy questioned him with true curiosity, he'd never known Edward to be stopped from doing as he wished by anything too menial.

"What's not stopping me is a shorter list." Edward replied with an amused sort of smile. "And before you make any sort of guesses, it has nothing to do with work. I could quit at any moment and not feel any regrets. It's nothing but trouble anyway, advising on politics. People keep trying to see me as a politician and I'm not. I'm only trying to prevent wars here because I'm so damn tired of death. I couldn't care less about all but a handful of the people in this world. But that doesn't mean I want them to kill each other."

Roy nodded in acceptance of that, he knew it to be true. After all, Edward had handed in his pocket watch once. And Edward had only said he was doing this because it was familiar to him. He could see, as he had earlier, that Edward was just existing here. Not truly living, waiting for some sign to bring him back to life. He felt he knew what it was that Edward was waiting for, but for all his efforts he could not seem to put his finger on it. Something he desperately wanted to do, because like Miss Wiesel, he was waiting to see what happened when Edward was released from whatever reasons he was holding himself back behind. "When this list of yours no longer exists, where would you like to go?"

Edward didn't even have to think about that. "Perugia." He answered simply, and with a far-off sort of smile.

"And where is that?" Roy wheedled further.

"Italy." Edward provided and took a deep breath. "I fell in love with the city a long time ago."

Roy felt that was fair enough. "But is it warm?"

"Warmer than here." Edward laughed and pulled down the road that would lead to his home. "Though very few places are _not_ warmer than here."

"I'll take your word for it." Roy muttered as he stared out at the rain.

At the gates they were greeted by Nitro, who happily followed Edward around as the man unlocked, drove the car through, relocked, and got back into the car. The llama then bounded along after the car as Edward drove it up the driveway and into the garage. However it was not Edward who was privy to the llama's welcome as they got out of the car.

Roy barely had time to shut the car door behind him before Nitro was butting his bicep insistently with his soaked head. Roy was less than amused to discover that the reason Nitro looked oddly… melted, was not because his brown and white spotted coat had not matted together, but that the llama had been rolling around in mud somewhere like a swine. "Ugh, Edward," Roy complained as he tried to pacify the llama by giving it the pats of affection it wanted, as well as not get smeared in mud, "can I hose this thing down?"

Edward snickered as he watched Roy having absolutely no success in not trying to get mud all over him. His llama was very insistent that Roy pet him, and in the process get dirty. "If you're worried about the clothes, don't. It'll come out. And you yourself are washable last I checked."

"Why does he like me this much now all of a sudden?" Roy asked as he tried to stealthily back away from Nitro without the llama's notice. He wasn't having much luck there either.

"He's trying to cheer you up. He must sense you're worried about something." Edward said as he watched with amused interest. "He's a pain like that, he never can accept the fact that humans are complex beings with complex feelings."

"The only thing I'm worried about right now is avoiding having a mud bath." Roy retorted as he gave up on the stealth and just ran for it.

Edward laughed, leaning back against the wet car for support as he watched Roy flee through the door that led into the house and slammed it shut to block Nitro from following him. Still laughing, he shook his head as Nitro skidded to a stop at the door and shot him a questioning look. "Oh no, I'm not letting you in after him." He chuckled and righted himself away from the car before walking past the disappointed llama. "You better hope that all that mud washes away, else I'll have to brush you."

Nitro promptly fled at the word "brush", and pelted out into the rain with a panicked sounding cry.

Edward fought off another bout of laughter, grabbed Roy's coat which had been discarded in Roy's flight indoors, and let himself inside. Closing the door behind him he locked it and went in search of Roy.

Roy had already made it to his room. He'd barely paused to take off his shoes and set them aside before he went into the bathroom to try and clean the mud off of him. He unbuttoned and peeled off his shirt before holding the soiled parts under the warm water jetting out of the faucet. The mud began to wash away in a murky brown stream down the drain while Roy muttered things about llamas and personal space.

Edward meanwhile had already hung up Roy's coat and set his shoes aside to dry as they'd gotten rather muddy from his walking around on the driveway. He'd deal with the floors later, he'd need something to do later this evening after Roy had already gone to bed. So he wandered upstairs, where he saw Roy's bedroom door was open. That meant he was allowed in… right? He figured so.

Less than a minute later he sat down hard on Roy's bed, his eyes riveted on the sight of Roy shirtless. And while he was only being given a back view, he was hardly complaining. Although it was making it hard for him to think about anything _but_ the fact that Roy was half undressed… and a bit wet still from where the umbrella had proved useless. He was beginning to think he had better flee now while he still had some control over his body and actions.

Roy felt eyes on him, but he didn't turn around. Instead he smirked and finished what he was doing. "Staring is rude unless you're going to do something." He remarked lightly as he turned around while drying his hands with a towel, and leaned back against the counter to stare back at the blond sitting on his bed. A very enticing place for Edward to willingly place himself.

Edward's eyes widened marginally for the briefest of seconds. "I was not staring." He quickly lied, knowing full well that he had been staring, and enjoying the sight immensely. As his eyes glanced over Roy's pale chest however, he felt his insides clench. He had not noticed it as much with Roy's back turned, but now he could see how much weight Roy had really lost from his sickness. He could see every rib clearly.

Roy looked away uncomfortably as he saw Edward's gaze change to one of concern. Placing the towel aside, his hands dry, he walked out of the bathroom. "I'm fine now. I just need to eat, and once I have enough energy for it, start building the muscle back up."

Edward stood up to meet him halfway, his eyes still roving over Roy's exposed body as he felt a pain inside of him that he hadn't felt before. The man in front of him was no more than a wraith. It came as no surprise now that Roy must have died. "How could you not have told anyone about this?" He asked in a strained, soft voice as his eyes darted back to Roy's. "How could no one have noticed?"

"I did everything I could to hide it." Roy reminded him gently, "I never wanted anyone to find out."

"Why?" Edward asked, knowing he already had, and had gotten shot down. But he couldn't help asking again. Raising one hand he glanced down to trail his fingers over the white skin stretched so tightly over Roy's chest. "Why could you want this?"

It took a great mustering of will power not to shiver at Edward touching him, even though it felt like the fire he so loved, and made him want to ravish the man on site. "I had my reason." Roy answered quietly, and raised his own hand to cover Edward's, and take it away into his grasp.

Edward looked back up into his eyes in confusion, not attempting to take his hand away from Roy's. "Just one? What one thing could be convincing enough to make you do this?"

Roy gave him a small smile, but it was a sad smile. "You'd hit me if I told you, and I'd rather not get another bruise." He answered, giving a gentle squeeze to Edward's hand. "Don't look at me with such sadness, Edward."

"You're an idiot." Edward whispered, glancing down at their hands still entwined together and feeling a thrilled tug inside of him at the sight.

Roy followed his gaze momentarily before raising his other hand to brush it along Edward's cheek, causing the blond to look up at him again in surprise. "Maybe, but being an idiot is what got me here. I don't regret it."

Edward fought the impulse to lean against Roy's hand which still hovered just barely brushing his cheek. But slight though it was, it was intense. "You'd rather be here, than be in Amestris where we belong?"

"Is it that obvious?" Roy teased gently.

Edward almost flushed at the question. Yes it was obvious as the man hadn't started downing bottles of liquor, but Roy couldn't possibly truly want… even though he hoped… but Roy didn't know the whole truth. He needed to be told, but Edward hesitated to tell him now despite Al's insistence that he not wait too long. However by either miracle or not, Edward was saved from needing to form an answer right then as the phone rang out in the hallway.

Roy glanced towards the open door, before back to Edward who hadn't moved, but was watching him with a look of inner turmoil that he'd not seen before. There was something almost painful about Edward's eyes. "What is it?"

"The phone." Edward answered with a sigh, and reluctantly pulled himself free of Roy's hold on his hand and away from the touch so light on his face. "I should get it."

"I know it's the phone, that's not what I meant." Roy frowned and stepped after Edward to seize him around the elbow and whirl him around. "Something is bothering you, a lot."

Edward's gaze darted between the hand on his arm and Roy's eyes. "Tell me why you let yourself die, and I'll tell you what's bothering me."

Roy slowly released Edward's arm. "I get it now. Fine, go answer the phone." He said and turned away to walk back to the bathroom abruptly. "I think I'll get changed into my vagrant clothes again." And with that, shut the door to block Edward out in more ways than one.

Edward stared after him, feeling paralyzed and as if the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. The ring of the phone seemed to hammer on his ears, and he finally turned to go out into the hall and pick it up harshly. He tried to swallow the salty lump in his throat as he slumped down to sit against the wall. "Hello?" He answered in a defeated voice.

"_What's wrong?_" Al's voice sounded near to panic.

Edward stared glassy-eyed down at the bamboo floor. "I don't know if I can do this, Al. I want to tell him, I do… but I don't want to lose him. Even though I think I just made a mistake about it. When he walked away from me… it hurts."

"_What did you do now?_"

In his bathroom, Roy had finished changing into the more comfortable clothes that Miss Wiesel absolutely seemed to detest him being seen in. But as he didn't feel like doing much but angrily sulking in his room, he doubted she'd see him in them.

As he left the bathroom he could hear Edward finish saying something over the phone, and figured the person on the other line was speaking. But he did not feel like listening in. He needed to cool his head down. And so he closed his bedroom door quietly, though he'd been rather tempted to shut it with a childish slam. He was older than that though, even if right now he didn't feel like it.

Going to his bed he flopped down onto it, and grabbed one of the books Edward wanted him to read. Flipping it open to the first page, he bore holes into the paper with his eyes as he reflected, instead of read.

He had little doubts now that Edward was hiding something from him. And no doubts now about what it was about. Which was the main cause for his annoyance with Edward. Oh, who was he kidding, he wasn't just annoyed, he was down right incensed. Edward had dangled it in front of him like it was nothing more than something to be traded for. Roy's secret that wasn't so secret if Edward would get a fucking clue, for something about Raymond. He had said he'd help Edward forget Raymond, but that did not mean that he was willing to bargain for the clues to help him do so! Angrily, he had to wonder if Edward actually did want to forget.

This wasn't a game to him. He loved Edward, and as long as Edward couldn't forget Raymond's betrayal, Roy could not hope to have a chance at winning Edward over.

Trying to get some composure back, Roy began to read. He might as well, because he knew he'd never forget the words he read. He always retained information better when he was leaning heavily to a side of the emotional spectrum.

Roy read for over seven hours before he put the book aside and marked it. He'd gotten through almost half of the loaded text, and could clearly recall every detail. Now he got up, feeling only residual indifference towards the man he silently loved. His stomach told him it was time to eat, and as he'd skipped lunch due to still being angry and not wishing to go off on Edward, he was ready for dinner.

He made his way downstairs, not seeing Edward the entire way. He found the blond in the kitchen, sitting at the table there looking rather put-out as he twirled his fork absently in the spaghetti. Roy paused in the doorway for a moment before he walked over to sit down as well.

Edward looked up in shock as Roy was suddenly there in front of him. Neither of them spoke, though their eyes never left each other. Which gave Edward the time to gather his wits about him, as well as try to ignore the pang of guilt. "I'm sorry." He said at last, and nothing further even on what he was sorry about.

Roy however needed no explanation. He'd known the blond long enough to know that they were on the same page, even if the number was unspoken. "Me too." He replied, and gave Edward a stern look that shut him up before he could speak. He'd thought about this over the hours as he'd sat up in his room brooding. "I understand it's still hard for you, and that I shouldn't expect you to open up completely right away. I just want to know that you know you can trust me."

Edward attempted a small, almost unsure smile. "I do trust you."

"Then that's all I need to know right now." Roy smiled back at him. "When you're ready to tell me, I'm here."

Edward's smile became more successful. "Thank you." He said after a moment of just gazing at Roy.

Roy merely nodded, and turned his attention to the food before him. Without preamble, he began to fill his empty plate with spaghetti, a cheese crusted bread, and salad. He planned to eat quite a bit tonight, he needed to start filling out his figure again.

Edward relaxed, though he still could feel a shadow of guilt on his mind. "I need to go into the city tomorrow to do some shopping for food. If you want to come with me you could shop for some clothes too while we're out." He suggested in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere of the room.

Roy finished swallowing his bite of bread, before giving a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I do need more clothes." He agreed, "so yes, I'd like to come."

Edward was suddenly glad of Roy being preoccupied in trying to twirl some spaghetti onto his fork. He missed Edward nearly choking on a crouton. "Great." He said weakly, biting down on all the innuendo filled remarks he _could_ have answered with.

Dinner was a subdued meal for them, both still trying to regroup after the incident between them. But they left the kitchen on good terms, and certainly feeling more at ease with each other again.

Roy never asked where they were going as Edward led them through the ballroom and out onto the terrace. The rain had stopped for the moment, but the sky was still obscured by the clouds. The blond hopped up onto the railing, facing Roy.

Roy went to stand at Edward's side, and placed his forearms on the cold railing to rest there as he stared out into the darkness. "This place suits you, you know."

Edward looked down at him, "my home?"

Roy nodded, "I just see you as the type of person who needs space like this just to feel away from it all. You never were one to like to be closed in."

Edward could agree with that. He had always felt a bit cloistered in the apartment he'd shared with Alphonse. "Most of my life was spent being free, being able to go where I wanted and when I wanted. For the most part at least."

"Do you ever miss going on missions?"

"Why would I?" Edward frowned, and at Roy's look, elaborated. "I'd gotten Al back to his body. The reason I let you bully me into joining the military was to accomplish that. I planned to quit once I'd succeeded."

"I see." Roy said, feeling a bit diminished by that statement. "And then what?"

Edward gave a slow sigh. "I never really planned any farther than that. To tell you the truth I knew I was probably going to my death that day. It had been chasing me ever since I killed Greed. I had hoped I might survive… I just never thought my survival would become what it did. Or that things would end up this way."

"I wouldn't have easily let you quit, you know." Roy told him, glancing up his way.

"I know." Edward smiled. "And who knows, maybe you could have convinced me to stay." He then gave a soft laugh. "You always were rather convincing when you wanted to be and weren't jerking everyone around."

Roy had to smile at that. "I had my reasons for jerking everyone around, as you put it. But I certainly would have tried to get you to stay. Goodness knows I would have slept easier some nights knowing you were still around to rely on. Alchemists of your caliber are rare people indeed."

"Excuse me while I faint from shock." Edward joked, pressing a hand to his heart. "The arrogant Flame Alchemist giving _me_ a compliment. Will wonders never cease?"

Roy smirked, and winked up at the blond. "They will if you poke fun at me, Fullmetal."

Edward smiled at him peacefully and bent his head back to look up at the cloud-blackened sky. "Then I better not ruin the moment."

Roy gazed up at him with a wistful look in his eyes. He had to wonder if Edward truly did not know how much he was loved. He'd give the blond a compliment a day if it meant seeing him smile with such tranquility. Lowering his gaze he waited a moment before drawing away. "Want to go for a walk?" He asked, holding out a hand.

Edward looked back at him, his golden eyes startled at the request. "Now?"

"Yes now." Roy smiled at him. "You don't have to, but it may save you the trouble tomorrow morning of having to come find me because I got lost in your backyard."

Edward was silent, his thoughts on the matter unreadable in his eyes or body language. Then he reached out to take Roy's hand and accept the help down from the railing. "Who's to say I'd come rescue you?" He teased, dropping Roy's hand against his better judgment.

Roy smirked and started off towards the steps. "Just a hunch."

"You need more than a hunch to convince me of _anything_, Roy Mustang." Edward corrected and fell into step with him as they reached the lawn.

"A wild guess?"

"You have obviously lost your touch." Edward noted with a firm nod, and laughed as Roy shoved him.

Roy rolled his eyes at the sound of laughter coming from Edward, and picked up the pace. "Have fun looking for me tomorrow morning!" He called back over his shoulder.

"Wait!" Edward said through his laughter and hurried after Roy.

Roy smiled, and waited for Edward to catch up before smirking over at him. "For such short legs you sure can move fast."

"Oh, shut it, Mustang." Edward growled, this time he did the shoving.

It was verging on eleven p.m. when the two finally returned from their walk. While Edward didn't seem tired yet, Roy was still recovering strength and was exhausted. He barely remembered saying goodnight to the blond as he excused himself to bed. And he fell into bed still dressed, as he still did not have anything else to wear.

Edward meanwhile went to the library alone. Walking over to the piano, Edward sat down gracefully at the bench and let his fingers drift over the keys. The notes of music wavered faintly on the air, soon coming to a stop as Edward pulled his hand away. Sighing, the blond turned to face the window, staring out over the dark backyard in thought.

He knew he needed to work fast. There was much to do, and he felt he could not wait much longer to tell Roy the whole truth of his association with Raymond. Thereby bearing himself to possibly the worst pain he'd ever experience. But it had to be done, he knew that now.


	12. Chapter 12

Phoenix: Ed is just awesome like that. Ad how could Roy stay angry with him? He's adorable.

Angyl: Yes, that's exactly it. And I am sure a llama would do wonders to keep your horse company. Or a goat... I like goats.

Mary: Thanks, I'm glad you got some of the emotion. I try hard for that.

Paon: Aww did you have a good birthday? It's belated now... but happy birthday! I think I need to arrange for a cake for you as well.

Addict: How irritatedly curious? On a scale of 1 to 10 -evil laugh-.

Emaleya: You know, I've never tried... I know where to find llamas though. I'm sure I could steal one for the experiment. Bathe it, then eat it covered in chocolate sauce.

GreedxEd: Hmm... the puppy eyes do work on me. Perhaps if you give me a hug... then I might be persuaded to let myself think of an idea.

roy-rules: Hiya shirley! ...-flees- And thank you for the lovely flowers.

Embers: I think you just jellied their brains.

B.D.: You shall see, but I am rather pleased of how I designed for it to come out.

ferret: Oh I hope you get to go back then, I'm sure being sick was not part of your plans. I've always wanted to go... if I do I'll probably spam up my profile with the picture links.

Shikon: Not too much longer to wait for that... even though it will feel like a long time I'm sure.

secret25: I hope you love reading this then.

anmb: PIE! Oh sweet Gate PIE! -runs with the pie- I'm glad you like the moment of tension back there. It was definitely needed. Their lives are not cakes and roses.

Lost: It was some needed types of interaction. They needed the bit of a rollercoaster I think.

mrawgirl: You save me for last? I think I should squish you in a hug... should I? Hmm... Roy get beaten up... by Ed... now there's an idea!

E: How about Roy shirtless during that walk/chase and then a game of tackle tag? -grins-

* * *

Sort of able to be back to daily updates... but who knows, this weekend just might slaughter my plans. I still don't have my laptop back though, darn it to pieces. But oh well, I shall live.

Did I ever tell you all about my adventure getting my VIN number onto all my cars windows and the police doing it? For some reason I'm thinking about it again...

And now I need some lunch, I'm famished. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you to all my readers, you all are fantastic as usual. ...I'm in a fluffy mood. I best exit stage left.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Edward was up early again the next morning, despite having gone to bed close to one in the morning. He had stayed up late last night thinking about what he had left to do, what he needed to say. And when those trains of thought finally were exhausted, he'd stayed up last night thinking about what Al had originally called to talk to him about. It made him smile as he reflected back on it.

He suspected that today he'd be privy to a lot of visitors that he'd need to actually let in through the gates at their will. So he'd risen early to go outside to unlock them. He didn't exactly want visitors as he had plenty enough to do today considering they'd lost a whole morning yesterday due to the press conference… and then their silent fight yesterday afternoon. But he could at least hope that Nitro would insight many of them not to stay in case something went amiss with their car if they were gone for too long.

As he walked down his driveway, Nitro by his side and mud-free, Edward had shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he gazed up at the clear blue sky. The rain was gone, for now. He was sure it would soon be back. But until then, he was going to enjoy seeing the blue sky again. It was chilly out, and his breath came in puffs of fog, but unlike the chill he got from the rain, this one made him feel oddly alive and renewed. It was why he refused himself a jacket.

At the gates Edward drew the large key from his pocket and stuck it into the wet padlock. Clicking the lock open he put the key away and unwrapped the chain from the gates and tossed it onto the grass off the side of the driveway. The padlock soon followed.

"Make sure you keep a good watch out today." Edward said to Nitro as he stared past the gates and out towards the road. "I don't want anyone thinking they can hide somewhere." He said, and opened one of the gates far enough so that he could slip past them in order to check his mail. He pulled out a large stack of envelopes and flyers, and began to flip through them as he walked back through his gates, only pausing his flipping to shut the one gate he'd partially opened.

Nitro skipped after his human, head bowed around Edward's side curiously as he tried to plead his case to eat one of the paper items. His human never let him, and he was determined to keep trying.

Edward rolled his eyes, before rolling up one of the flyers and bopping Nitro firmly on the top of his head with it. "Oh go be a guard dog, you bloody beaver." He chastised, and shook his head as Nitro veered away from him to bound back towards the gates.

The mail Edward set just inside the front door, before he walked around the side of his home, and ducked under the electrical wire that served as the fence to keep the horses on one side, but allow Nitro to pass through without trouble. He had had his doubts about the wire at first, until he realized Nitro only had to get zapped once for not ducking. The horses learned from his mistake and never came near the electrical wire fence. It had also, on more than one occasion, provided Edward with a great deal of amusement to see unsuspecting reporters fleeing from Nitro get taken out by the electric charge.

He started off across the grounds, making his way to where he could see his horses all gathered for warmth and company under one of the rowan trees. They usually stayed close to the chateau, though he had known them to be a pain and stay at the opposite end of his property by the lake.

As he walked up he was soon flooded down upon by them as they came over to greet him with affectionate whickers. He allowed himself to be swarmed for only a few amused seconds before he dispersed them with a gravely "ah-ah" noise. Sometime over the course of having them here he'd gotten accustomed to speaking like a Neanderthal in order to get his point across to the animals who knew precisely what he wanted, and knew they'd better do it.

He checked them all over in turn, paying special care to Silva who was more skin than hair. He always was concerned about him getting frostbite, though the risk was greater when it snowed. When it did snow he was forced to blindfold Silva temporarily and park his car in the driveway so he could keep the horse in the garage where he'd be safer from being frostbitten.

He checked on Camira, whose belly was swelled like a tight drum at this point. He knew she'd be ready to give birth soon. He really hoped it wasn't snowing though when she did. He supposed he should probably start parking his car on the driveway soon, so he could keep her in the garage to be under a closer watch. "Sure you don't have twins in there?" He remarked as he ran a hand along the underside of her fuzzy stomach. "Or one hell of a leggy colt. Take your pick."

She promptly sneezed.

Inside Roy had decided Edward was nowhere to be found. And neither was breakfast. He was about to go check the rooms he still had not, when he did a double take at the window. Outside he could see Edward, and the blond was just vaulting himself up onto one of many horses he could see surrounding him. With a bit of a smile, Roy turned out of the kitchen and made his way to the terrace. Once he had he soon located the herd of horses that was following Edward as the blond rode around looking very preoccupied about something.

Roy figured it was better Edward than himself, he could handle Nitro, but those horses were a lot bigger than a llama. So he hopped up to sit on the wet railing at the terrace, and watched. There was just something very sexy about watching Edward ride that horse. He was starting to feel a bit envious of the four-legged animal.

Edward was too focused on what he was doing to notice that he was being watched, or that Silva had promptly fled at the sight of another human. He instead was busy trying to encourage Jasper into a canter. Something the horse seemed to fear for some reason when someone was riding him. Edward knew it was probably due to having been abused, but he kept trying. He knew that although the gelding trusted him, he could hardly expect results quickly.

Each time Edward asked, he got a different reaction. This time around he had just enough time to close his legs in tighter and grab some flaxen mane before the horse under him went aerial. Edward hung on easily, and as soon as Jasper touched down again he sat back hard, causing Jasper to skid to a snorting halt. "You're a dork." Edward sighed, and urged him forward again.

Roy watched, oddly amused at the show. Again, better Edward than him. He was sure he would have fallen off if that horse had bucked. But as it seemed, Edward had no fear, and evidently knew what he was doing with that particular animal. Roy had a feeling this wasn't the first time the horse had acted up.

Edward tried several more times, before he decided it was time to stop before Jasper got any more worked up and strung out than he already was. Patting the golden-brown neck he wheeled the horse back towards the chateau. When he spotted Roy however out there watching him, he smirked and suddenly leaned forward just enough to send the gelding into a full out gallop across the grass.

Roy eyed Edward warily as he charged over, and had to fight not to quickly get off the railing to put it between he and the horse. The two skidded to a halt in front of him, and he tried not to notice that the horse was eyeing him with a hungry sort of curiosity. "It looks like it wants to eat me." Roy remarked uncomfortably.

Edward laughed, and nudged the horse forward more, and then turned so he was next to Roy. "Jasper won't eat you, he just wants to see if you have treats for him."

"Well I don't." Roy told the horse firmly, before looking around at the rest of the herd that was coming to surround them. "Why do they have to be so big." He muttered darkly under his breath.

Edward grinned at him, and raised his right hand towards the rest of the horses in a shooing motion. "Off with you." He called out.

Roy blinked in impressed shock as all the horses but the one Edward still sat astride on, began to move away. "Are you some sort of animal whisperer?"

"Don't be absurd." Edward laughed, "they just know what I want." He said and extended his near hand out to Roy. "Come on, it's okay."

Roy eyed the hand, and then the horse, and then Edward like he was mad. "I'm good here, thanks."

"You seriously can't be scared of all horses."

Roy nodded quite quickly. "They're too big."

Edward smirked, "I should buy a miniature one then. But not today." His hand remained outstretched. "Come on, Roy. Trust me."

That was rather unfair, of course Roy trusted Ed. But Roy did not trust the large animal. "I just have to pet it?" He asked warily.

Edward grinned wickedly, and nudged Jasper over closer, putting Roy at the perfect place. "No, jump on behind me. Don't worry, it's not that far a drop and if you hold on you won't fall off."

Roy was sure he paled several shades at that. He was white enough as it was, at this rate he was going to look positively ghost-like. "W-what?" Roy stuttered, sure that he'd misheard.

"Jump on behind me." Edward insisted, his hand still outstretched, grin still firmly in place. "Take my hand in your left, and jump on."

Roy swore something colorful under his breath, and gulped, hard. He swore he was going to kill Edward for this. Why did he love this man again? But… the lure of being so close to Edward was a tempting proposition. Perhaps that would distract him enough to keep him from being too nervous. "Okay." He said in a nervous voice, and took Edward's hand. Fighting not to close his eyes, he managed to jump down.

Edward laughed as Roy swore again. "Your legs might be a bit sore later." He said over his shoulder, and held Jasper steady as Roy shifted into place. "Now wrap your arms around me. This will be fun, you'll see."

Roy was hard pressed to see how, but after a moment of hardly daring believe he was doing this, he wrapped his arms around Edward's middle. It pressed them close together, and Roy had to fight to keep himself under control. It would not due to have a certain southern problem right about now. There were plenty of things he could do to Edward in this position, and he desperately tried not to envision them.

Edward was having his own internal battle as well. One he felt he might lose unless he got them moving, so his attention would be on other things besides the fact Roy was pressed up against him from behind. Placing the older man in a good position to do some very wicked things. He hadn't thought of this when he'd asked Roy to come with him…

…oh dear.

In a valiant clearing of his throat to make it sound normal, he turned his head a bit back towards Roy. "Just stay sat and hold on." Edward instructed.

"You don't even have reins."

"No." Edward smiled and faced forward again. "Okay, here we go, and if you scream I'll kick your ass."

Roy barely had time to mutter something sarcastically under his breath before the horse suddenly began moving. He swore, causing Edward to laugh. "It's not funny!"

"It is so, we're only walking." Edward smirked and steered the plodding horse away from the chateau.

"Fuck." Roy mumbled, and tried to relax in more ways than one.

Edward couldn't help but silently agree with that idea. Which he decided was not a helpful idea at all for him to be having. "Remember to breathe." He said, "and hold on."

Roy grew wary of the tone Edward had used. "Don't you dare go fa-!" Roy nearly shrieked uncharacteristically as suddenly the horse bolted forward.

Edward dissolved into laughter as he felt Roy's arms tighten around him instinctively. But as Roy was still clinging on nicely, he didn't slow the brisk gallop that Jasper was bolting across the grass at. Grinning he only urged the horse to keep going at that pace.

It took Roy nearly a minute of swearing and forcing himself not to close his eyes, to begin to relax again. He was starting to find that it wasn't so hard to stay on. Sure, he was holding on for dear life to Edward, but he was beginning to discover he had balance of his own. He could feel the rhythm, and could feel himself move with it to keep him from being bounced around. As he relaxed, he began to look around as Edward took the horse farther and farther from the chateau.

If he looked behind him, the chateau looked the size of a shed. All around them was grass and trees for as far as he could see. The lawn glittered in the weak morning sunlight from the rain and morning dew, and a low fog was drifting in places, mostly at the bases of the many trees. All he could hear was the muffled thunder of the horse's hooves, and the calls of the waking birds.

Edward could feel Roy begin to relax, and he smiled. Apparently Roy wasn't so afraid of big animals after all. He didn't want Roy to be, he wanted the man to find the freedom Edward did when you could just race off nowhere in particular on the back of a horse. And Gate knew he had plenty of them for Roy to find a good match with.

Neither of them said anything as they both relaxed and soaked in the scenery flashing by. Days like this were so rare, with the sun out and not a cloud in the sky. And Edward continued to keep them moving at this pace until he knew they should turn around and head back. They still had breakfast to eat after all, and he was determined that Roy wouldn't miss a meal. So he began to slowly ease Jasper into a half circle so they could return back to the chateau.

When Edward sat back to bring Jasper to a slow halt so he wouldn't jar Roy, he looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "Now was that so bad?"

Roy swung down, stumbling a few steps to get back his balance on the ground. "Better than Hawkeye's driving." He said as he put a hand to his head. "I still feel like we're moving."

Edward smiled, and hopped down. "You will for a while. Don't worry, you'll get used to it and soon it will go away." And he sent Jasper away with a smack to his rump. "So Hawkeye's driving huh?"

Roy watched the gelding gallop back to the rest of the horses, feeling a bit grateful that it hadn't stuck around. He wasn't as afraid as he had been, but the size still made him nervous. "She could make a person seasick."

"What a pity I missed all that." Edward chuckled and reached out to steady the swaying Roy. "Come on, let's get you sitting down and I'll make us some breakfast."

"Sure I won't bring it back up?"

"If you do, I'll just force it back down."

"That's gross, Ed."

Edward merely laughed as he helped guide the slightly wobbly Roy up the terrace steps and back inside. He hovered over Roy until he'd sat the man down at the kitchen table. "I'm proud of you for coming with me." Edward said with a slight tease in his voice as he filled a pitcher with water and brought it over to the table with glasses for them both.

Roy groaned, "I'm proud of myself. But don't expect me to all of a sudden be comfortable around them."

"I don't." Edward shrugged and walked back over to his refrigerator. "But I'm still proud of you."

"So what were you doing with that horse when I first came out?" Roy asked as he poured himself some of the water.

"Therapy I guess. Trying to get him to go at a certain gait, but he freaks every time I almost get him into it. On the ground he's fine, but with a rider he balks." Edward explained as he pulled out some sliced ham. "Al's tried as well, just in case it's only with me he freaks. No luck."

"I'm sure you'll get it one day." Roy said as he watched Edward pull a skillet onto the stove. "When were you planning to go shopping?"

Edward finished messing with the skillet and looked over his shoulder at Roy. "Around lunch time. By then all the people who I expect will be stopping by, will have been by. We can get lunch while we're out. Or steal some of Al's food."

Roy rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "I wouldn't blame your brother if he left no food for you when he leaves on work trips."

"He's actually done that before."

"Doesn't surprise me." Roy smirked, feeling a flare of pride for the younger Elric. "Who is it you think will be stopping by today?"

Edward finished placing some slices of ham on the skillet to heat and fry a bit. "Thomas, Charles, a runner, possibly Scott, and I am hoping Alice doesn't show up, but she probably will just to spite me."

Roy raised an eyebrow at that. "Who's Alice? And what's this runner person?"

"The runners are what I call the little brownnosers that are sent out with summons. Charles expects I'll be getting one, and so do I." Edward explained, and flipped the ham slices. "Alice is the daughter of one of the dukes. She had a not so secret infatuation with Raymond, so don't be surprised if she shows up and wants to fawn all over you." And as his head was turned away from Roy, his scowl of disgust was not seen. It nearly made him sick to think that anyone would dare fawn over Roy.

Roy cringed at the thought of some frivolous female fawning over him. Now if Edward fawned all over him, he would be ecstatic. He could only hope this woman didn't make an appearance, and if so, that he had a deep enough reserve of self control to keep himself from, as Edward had put it yesterday during the press conference mingling, "incinerating ball-less twads". Which unfortunately he was physically incapable of now. "What is this summons thing you and your spineless boss are expecting?"

Edward smiled, and shook his head a bit at Roy's jab. He did like Charles, the man was a good friend, though not close. But he also knew Roy was right. Until he'd come around, Charles was less popular, and a bit less influential. "To have me report for a meeting with the queen about you. I sincerely doubt she'd just ask me around for afternoon tea." He ended with a snicker.

Roy frowned at that, "should I go with you?"

"Absolutely not." Edward said firmly. "It has nothing to do with you not being ready, which you aren't, but I am not about to put you in reach of being detained. And I would be able to do nothing about it."

"And if I am requested to go?"

"You'll still stay." Edward replied and stacked more cooked slices of ham on the platter. "I'm very good at making up excuses if you never noticed."

"Oh I did." Roy snorted and cast and amused look towards the ceiling. "How many times did you not come back on time, or not want to turn in a report?"

"Practically every single one." Edward answered immediately.

"Exactly."

Edward smiled and started on making the French toast, substituting orange juice for the milk. "And you let me, but we had our reasons I suppose. Besides both of us being stubborn as mules."

"We're still both stubborn as mules." Roy remarked with a roll of his eyes.

It didn't take long for Edward to have breakfast on the table, and both of them began to eat hungrily. The morning ride and the fact that they were nearly an hour over due for eating had done a number on their appetites. Both of them ate until they couldn't eat another bite. At which point they stored the leftovers away for later, apparently Edward snacked throughout the day.

They then started on the dishes, Roy opting to wash them to give Edward a break from the lengthy routine he had to go to in order to do so himself. After all, one of his hands was made of metal and he did wear gloves to conceal it.

"What did you mean by a miniature horse?" Roy asked as he plunged his hands into the soapy water along with a sponge and a plate.

Edward grinned. "They didn't have them in Amestris. Though horses in general were rare to come by." He mused and then shrugged a bit. "A miniature horse will come up to maybe your knee." Edward said as he glanced down at Roy's leg. "Maybe, if you weren't a giant."

"So does that make you a miniature human?" Roy teased, and glowered at Edward as the blond gave him a light kick to the shin.

"I am not miniature in anything!" Edward hissed as he nearly decapitated the towel he held in one hand.

"Anything?" Roy raised an eyebrow as he glanced Edward over, making sure he was very obvious about it.

Edward blushed and determinedly did not look away from Roy's gaze. "That's what I said."

Roy's mouth twitched in a suppressed smile. "I see." He said and turned his attention back to washing the dishes, but not before he gave Edward one last sweep of his eyes. He had to admit, Edward looked good when he was blushing. It was hard to resist giving Edward something to really blush about.

Edward meanwhile was trying to keep from either bashing Roy over the head, or pinning him against the sink and soapy water be damned. Both sounded like fun, yet he resisted.

By the time they were done cleaning the kitchen, Roy was feeling extremely pleased with himself, and Edward had finally gotten himself under control again. Roy knew he was playing with fire teasing Edward like that, but he couldn't help it when the blond left himself open to it.

"You don't have to hang around if you don't want to." Edward told Roy as they walked out of the kitchen together and down the hallway which led to the foyer. "You can go do whatever you like as long as you don't leave the property. I'll find you when I'm done dealing with people."

Roy smirked and shook his head. "No, I think I want to stick around and watch. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"Okay." Edward shrugged, and silently hoped that no one would actually show up and he was wrong. But his hunches were rarely wrong.

The two of them went up to the library, and Edward left the door open so they could hear if anyone came to the front door. To pass the time, since Roy had decided to stick around, Edward began to fill Roy in on all the current things that had happened. Starting with the last war.


	13. Chapter 13

E: Nah, Ed just needs to pin Roy down. It has absolutely nothing to do with the gutter... or does it?

Paon: Chocolate cake is a good choice. Raymond talk... coming soon, even though it feels like forever.

Mary: Yes, there is, and they will eventually.

ferret: Be glad I'm not making them wait 65 chapters again XD. And I'd love to see some of the London pictures.

Shawn: Yeah, I work with 17 horses now. We got a new one in on Wednesday. And yes, I was able to update Ultimatum -grins-

B.D.: And I'm sure you'll be guessing on the kissing thing up until they actually get on with it.

anmb: Yay! I have always wanted one of these... I shall share with Roy.

secret25: Yes, Ed needs to learn not to leave himself open to taunting.

Shikon: I think the ending on this one makes up for that. And he's just scared of them because they're big. And a jealous Ed is a fun Ed... even though he wants to wring Alice's neck.

Koneko: I've had some spectacular falls off a horse. I believe my most noteworthy one was when the horse suddenly decided it wanted to swerve left and stop... I flew off towards the right and stopped. And actually the orange juice on french toast is pretty good. And yes, the ball-less twads was in reference to Fane, among others who you'll meet.

Addict: It's all about the jumping skills to get on some horses, trust me. You develop some muscles you didn't know you had.

Lizche: I'm glad you're liking the style so far. I do a lot of backspacing to get things right a lot of the time. But it works out.

Angyl: I love that song, and you're right, it does. I have all sorts of songs I listen to for certain stories, it does help to get the mood right sometimes.

mrawgirl: Let me know if I spaced out one of your questions... a Neanderthal is like a cave person, Roy's new career will make itself known eventually and it's a secret -cackle-, and it was just his career that Roy didn't want to go back to. And Nitro got clean by standing out in the rain like a good little llama.

GreedxEd: ...Somehow between then and now you've talked me into writing you another Greed/Ed fic. You've got magical powers or something.

SomethingOfImportance: Maybe punch something less essential than the monitor...

Lamia: A lot of people share that sentiment. Personally the last time a horse tried to bite me, by the time I was through teaching it a lesson... well she didn't try it ever again.

Phoenix: I was thinking air plane XD. He has a lot of fun on that. Yes, Nitro wants to eat paper... animals are odd like that. I knew a horse that liked to drink hot coffee.

xwhitex: That is a definite help, I'm glad you're having fun so far.

* * *

So, in case anyone has missed it so far, Ultimatum was updated, as was Fallen ( up to Chapter Seven ).

I'm still without my laptop, hence my having to swipe the external hard drive when I can. But here we are at last... cue music. Only other thing I wanted to mention was that for those who don't read Ultimatum... what's wrong with you, just kidding, don't hurt me... there's another lovely fanart image for Believe In Me. Kang is just adorable as a subject.

...But now I'm panicking that I might have accidentally put it under Shifting's fanart... I'll have to check and fix it if that's the case. This is why I should not be allowed to alter my profile while hyper.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

It was nearing nine in the morning when the first knock sounded at the door.

Edward left Roy upstairs in the library while he walked out of the room. The notes of melodic piano music grew louder once he left the library, as before Roy had only been playing softly and barely touching the keys while he had listened to Edward talk. Not that Edward minded, so long as Roy didn't lose his focus on what Edward was trying to teach him. And besides, he could listen to Roy play all day and never tire.

The music accompanied him all the way to the front door, and he caught himself humming along as he opened the door. With a smile, he forced himself to stop.

"Morning, Mister Elric, sir." Thomas greeted as he was ushered inside. Stepping in he looked around with an awed interest. "That's beautiful, is that Roy?"

Edward waved for the man to follow him, and they began walking towards the staircase. "Yeah, he's been playing for almost an hour now off and on. It's like I gave him a new toy or something and he can't keep his hands off of it."

Roy looked up as the two men entered the library, his fingers returning to just playing light notes that tinkled instead of hummed vibrantly in the air. He smiled at Edward, and nodded to Thomas. "Thought it'd be you who'd come by first."

"I usually do when Mister Elric doesn't go in to the office." Thomas replied and walked over towards him. "You play beautifully. Where'd you learn?"

"I taught myself over time." Roy replied, his fingers not pausing against the keys. "The music is my escape."

"You must have needed one, with everything that must have happened to you."

Roy couldn't help but think, if only Thomas knew the half of it. Thomas had no idea what lay behind the facades that he and Edward had erected around themselves. But if he did, he was sure that Thomas would have had trouble believing just about all of it. "Yes." He said simply, tactfully not embellishing.

Edward walked over as well, and leaned against the piano casually while resting one arm over the polished wood surface. "Times were difficult for all of us." He said, and looked at Thomas. "What news from Scott? Is he coming by later today?"

Thomas shook his head, and pulled out a folded missive from an inside pocket. "He said something about his wife's birthday. I expect that's important."

Edward snickered and unfolded the note. "I expect so if he wants to avoid sleeping on the back porch." He remarked as his eyes scanned over the page. "Everything seems to be in order though. Perfect." And he set the note down.

Roy immediately seized it, ignoring the raised eyebrow Edward gave him. His eyes glanced it over before he frowned and looked up at the amused blond. "What language is this?"

"Stenograph." Edward said, still very much amused. "I'll teach it to you if you like. It's nothing more than our spoken shorthand."

"I fail to see how an asterisk can be spoken as a sound." Roy frowned as he puzzled over the note.

Thomas gave him a sympathetic look. "You're not the only one. I've been ferrying around messages written in that for years and still can't grasp the rules of it."

Edward chuckled and retrieved the note. "I'll teach you when you have the time for it, Roy. Until then I believe you have a piano to play."

"Better start paying me." Roy shot back, but started to resume playing anyway.

Edward smiled, and turned to Thomas. "Anything else that needed to be dropped off?"

Thomas shook his head. "But I do need to remind you that the Hawthorne's are throwing that coming out party for their daughter next Sunday. You did rsvp, right?"

Edward groaned, "yes, unfortunately. Though I may just show up fashionably late, get drunk obscenely early, and high tail it out of there."

"What is she coming out as?" Roy asked innocently.

Thomas snorted in an attempt not to laugh, and Edward allowed himself a chuckle. Smiling at Roy he shook his head. "It's a coming of age party sort of thing. To… broadcast their daughter's eligibility as a young lady."

"You have to have a party for that?" Roy asked, flabbergasted at the notion.

"Not everyone comes of age and celebrates it by setting fire to a barn, Roy." Edward grinned at him.

Roy scowled, "who told you that? That was private."

"Now what good would it do you if I told you now?" Edward smirked and sighed elegantly. "You'll just have to sit there and wonder."

"He set fire to a barn?" Thomas echoed in shock.

"It was abandoned." Roy muttered in his defense.

Edward snickered and gave Roy an evil sort of grin before looking back at Thomas who still seemed torn between being amused, or alarmed. "Thanks, is that all that's coming up off-hand?"

Thomas nodded, directing his attention back to his boss. "That I know of. I know Charles was planning to come see you today, something to do with the funeral. Just thought I'd give you a head's-up to brace yourself."

Edward's eyes flickered darkly for an instant, his gaze drifting towards the window. "I appreciate that."

Roy did not pause in his playing of the piano that sang so beautifully at his touch, but his eyes were worried as they rested on the blond. He wasn't sure what sort of reaction to expect from Edward when the date of this funeral came around, and truth be told, he was worried. If there was a bright side though, he supposed it would have to be that he was here to make sure Edward didn't do anything rash.

Thomas, sensing and knowing that his boss was not pleased in the least about Raymond coming back onto English soil, even as a corpse, bravely attempted a small smile. He had stood by Edward throughout the whole fiasco all those years ago, his belief in his employer not wavering for an instant no matter the accusations that had been leveled against him. He knew that Raymond's return to be buried could not be sitting well with his boss. "I suppose that we should at least be thankful that he won't be a bother anymore." And he looked at Roy quickly, "no offense."

Roy raised a hand away from the keys to hold it up and shake his head. "None taken. We weren't exactly close family members. And I can hardly forgive anyone, even of my own blood, for doing what he did. Edward didn't deserve to be dragged into any of it."

Edward looked over at Roy, and felt himself smile faintly. "Thank you."

Roy met his gaze, and smiled back bracingly. "What are friends for?" He asked back simply, before returning to the piano and focusing his gaze on the polished black surface of the instrument, allowing his mind to drift lazily on the notes of music.

Thomas turned to Edward with a deep breath and a slight lift of his shoulders as he did so. "I best be heading off then, if you need nothing further. There's stuff on my desk at the office to deal with still."

Edward nodded shortly, and waved a hand. "By all means. I can manage from here, thank you."

Roy waited until Thomas had descended down the staircase before he tugged his mind back enough so he could form sentences, if not at least words. "Well?"

"Well what?" Edward asked, glancing 'round at him now. He leaned further against the piano, and rested the side of his head down onto it.

"Should I come with you to this funeral?" Roy embellished, tilting his head sideways a bit as he watched Edward. Not breaking pace, his fingers continued to dance over the piano keys to produce the harmonic background music to their conversation.

Edward let a sigh out from his nose so fast it almost could have been classified as a laugh. Closing his eyes he raised a hand in a gesture of impartiality. "If you like. I can understand if you don't want to, I wouldn't be going if I wasn't expected to. But as family you're allowed to have disowned him and refuse to show."

Roy frowned at him, even though Edward wouldn't have seen. "So do the exact thing no one expects you'll do, and not go? Seems to me that he isn't worth the time of day. When you were eighteen you wouldn't have gone."

"Do try not to lecture me on how to survive in this world. I had you to lean on in Amestris." Edward replied quietly, and without a trace of anger, just cool and almost detached calm. "Here I had only myself, and that still remains the way things are. The things I do now are not so different from what you did yourself as a Colonel. Even if you didn't like it, you did as you were told."

Roy opened his mouth, and then closed it, his eyes drifting away from Edward. Instead he glanced towards the window. When he thought about it, Edward was right. They both did what they had to do, even if they didn't want to. Only in Amestris it was Edward who had rein to be belligerent no matter where, when, or why. Here, he was afforded that luxury. By all respects, they'd completely swapped roles. And it was a bit awkward to adjust to. "You're right."

Edward cracked an eye open, and smiled for a brief moment. "I usually am."

It was not long after Thomas had pulled off the property, herded as such by Nitro, that Charles pulled into the driveway of the chateau he'd gifted to his head advisor. He was instantly, and expectedly, under close surveillance and escort by the brown and white llama that bounded after the car.

As he parked near to the front door, the prime minister sucked in a deep breath before stepping out of his car. Immediately he was forced to ward away Nitro with an extended hand, while dodging the testing nips the llama tried to accomplish. Hurrying up to the front door he knocked on it sharply, before continuing to try and shoo Nitro off.

Edward opened the door to let in a very wary Charles Kain. Something that made him smirk a bit, and pointedly glare at Nitro. "Off with you." He told the llama and shut the door before Nitro could try and get inside.

Charles was already taking off his coat. "I used to question your decision in not getting a dog. But that bloody thing is better than a squadron of MI6 snipers."

Edward chuckled, and stooped to retrieve his mail from where it still sat on the floor inside the door. "Don't let them hear you say that." He cautioned and began to flip through the envelopes with pursed lips. "So," he began as he frowned at one such envelope, "what can I do for you?"

"I'm sure you already know, Edward." Charles said as he watched Edward bore holes into the daily mail.

"I like giving you the benefit of the doubt." Edward muttered under his breath, and looked up with a heavily exhaled breath as he turned his attention away from his mail. "I refuse to let you bring Roy in for interrogation. You must have heard back from IK-10 by now, else they're going the right way for a political hassle. Therefore you know that they're not the same people. He's already been through quite enough and doesn't need a full blown Scotland Yard body cavity search while being asked to sing 'God Save the Queen'. He's my friend, and I won't subject him to that."

The corners of Charles's mouth twitched in a carefully suppressed smile. "I did hear back from IK-10. Hence the reason I am here. The funeral, remember?"

Edward did not bother to mask his scowl. "And here I was trying to play dumb and see if you wouldn't take the hint and leave the subject alone."

"You know I can't do that."

"Sometimes it's nice to dream." Edward said and put the hand not holding his mail to his forehead. "Very well, what news this time?"

Charles gave him a sympathetic look, he did know how hard the subject of Raymond was to his long time advisor and friend. "His body was sent out by airliner yesterday. It will arrive tomorrow morning."

"At least the bastard didn't merit a non-stop flight." Edward grumbled, and his hand fell from his forehead. "Though he deserves a rickety train, if he deserves this at all."

With a tired sounding sigh of breath, Charles waved a hand towards the stairs. "Do you want to sit down and we'll discuss it? If Roy's available he should hear this information too. After all they were family… of a sort."

Edward gave a short laugh. "I'd reckon the exact opposite of Al and I." He remarked and began walking towards the staircase. "He should still be in the library. Sounds like he finally gave up on the piano, he's been playing constantly for almost three hours now."

"Is he very good?" Charles asked, following his young advisor.

"Judge for yourself whenever you happen to hear him play." Edward merely replied, and led the way into the library where he sat on one of the couches.

Roy, who was still sitting on the piano bench, but no longer playing, fixed his gaze on Charles as the man took a seat as well. Having been present for Thomas giving them the head's-up, he was interested to see just what this prime minister had to say on Raymond's funeral. And what sort of welcome he received now that it was just them.

Charles looked over towards Roy, giving the man a nod. "You're staying here then?"

"Until Edward gets tired of me and tosses me into the backyard to live with the horses." Roy remarked, and shuddered at the very thought of having to live in harmony with those huge animals. Herbivores or not, the size was disconcerting.

A soft chuckle escaped Edward's lips at the image that brought up. "Even if I did that, Al would take him in without a second thought. You'd be his new kitten or something."

"As tempting an offer as that sounds," Roy smiled, "I'll pass for as long as I can."

Edward smirked, and then what of his good mood faded to a distant type of resoluteness as he turned his attention onto his boss. "Tell me what has been planned so far." He said, a hint of steel in his tone as if he were restraining himself from letting his true emotions slip through.

However, Roy had a feeling only he noticed. For Charles didn't seem the least bit unnerved by the change in mood or the undercurrent in Edward's voice. He knew that this was the point where, in Amestris, Edward probably would have exploded into a tirade. This was the point that in this world, Edward was acting as Roy would have done as his superior officer, and address things without resorting to violent outbursts. Only Edward had managed to ever make him lose control… which left Roy to ponder the thought that only _he_ might be able to make Edward lose control and finally snap out of this shell of an existence.

Charles cleared his throat gruffly for an instant, before speaking. "As I said earlier, his body will arrive tomorrow morning at the airport. It will be picked up and sent to the mortuary for preparation. The funeral date is tentatively scheduled for next Tuesday. The public will be kept out of it."

"The press?"

"Also banned." Charles nodded, mostly to himself. "Those of us who knew him will probably be asked to say a few words, should we choose."

Edward gave a biting laugh, and Roy could see him practically seethe. Though still, it seemed Charles didn't notice. At this point, to give Edward some time to bank his emotions, Roy stood up and crossed the floor to sit by Edward. "Will anyone choose? Honestly?" He asked as he bravely stayed beside the blond.

Charles flopped a hand noncommittally. "Most likely not. At which case it then falls to me to say something. In which case I'll need your help, Edward, in-"

"No." Edward said in a deathly quiet tone. "I will not. Ask the others."

Charles frowned, and clasped his hands together as he leaned forward. "Edward, I know you have more reason than anyone to hate being dragged into anything to do with Raymond again. But I trust you the most in this because of that. Even if you hate him, you're still brutally honest. And after all the lies and deception he brought upon us, I think we need some brutal truth."

"Reference my deposition transcript." Edward shook his head. "I will go to the funeral. But I draw the line at doing anything else. Push me all you like, but you know I won't budge."

Charles glanced at Roy.

Roy met his gaze evenly. "I've known him longer than you, he won't do it. And it's unfair to ask it of him. From what I've heard, he's been put through enough already because of that man. I see no reason to prolong it. And if my opinion as a blood relative of Raymond counts at all, I'd rather no one said anything at all, and leave it at that. In my opinion, he doesn't deserve a farewell."

Charles leaned back into his seat, one hand now coming up to tug thoughtfully at his chin. "It does, actually. So long as you haven't disowned him officially."

Suddenly Edward's tension dissipated just a fraction, and he engaged himself back into the conversation without a moment to lose. "That requires documents… Roy hasn't been back long enough to have done that." Here, he turned to give Roy a pointed look that only its receiver would understand. "Unless you've done so on your own time?"

Roy caught the look, and returned it with a reassuring glance, before looking back at Charles. "You'll find no record of it. I've not had the time yet to officially disown him as my kin."

Charles nodded slowly, and contemplated Roy as if seeing him in a new light. "Which gives you power of attorney."

Roy frowned, and thought quickly about that. "So, if I wanted-"

Edward quickly came to the much needed rescue, preferring to look rude by interrupting than by not giving Roy the chance to speak at all, and thus raise suspicion. "He could put a stop to the eulogies?"

Charles nodded again. "It'd be in his power."

"What about putting a stop to the funeral itself? Can I elect to have him tossed overboard in the ocean with an anvil tied to his feet?" Roy asked, not knowing unless he tried.

"No." Charles shook his head, though he seemed amused by the proposition. "Technically his body is government property. Which means it gets buried."

"Then at least be sure there are no eulogies. He doesn't deserve it in my opinion, after the funeral I'll gladly sign documents severing me from any formal relation to him." Roy said with a flare of his old commander steadfast resolve shining through.

Charles held his gaze for a moment, before nodding. "Very well." He sensed that it would probably prove fruitless to try and say anything otherwise. There was something about this Roy… and he couldn't quite place what it was, but he felt as if he was among an equal, if not greater man. "I'd best go fix the arrangements then."

Roy nodded, and stood. "Thank you, it's appreciated."

Edward finally managed to snap out of the stunned feeling that had overtaken him. At least enough so that he could see Charles out the door as the man stood to leave. "I'll see you on Tuesday then, at the latest." Edward said as he followed his boss.

Charles nodded, and they began their walk down the stairs, Roy flitting along behind them as a silent and unnoticed shadow. "Take care of yourself until then." He said, and as he paused to retrieve his coat he turned a bracing smile onto the blond man near to him. "And just because I know you are you, I won't expect you to be showing up to work for a few days afterwards."

Edward nodded, heaved a heavy breath, but said nothing.

"And Edward," Charles looked back as his hand rested on the door handle. "Read the summons."

"It's more of a hassle than it's worth if I don't." Edward replied. "Bye."

Charles nodded to him, and gave a short smile to Roy before he let himself out. The door clicked shut behind him, and Edward went forward to lock it. But he didn't turn away, instead letting his head fall forward to clunk dully on the wood.

A shadow of a frown marred Roy's brow as he stood uncertainly there in the foyer. He wasn't too sure yet if Edward was mad or otherwise. But the one thing he did know, was that Edward was showing vulnerability right now. Something that the blond wouldn't show unless he trusted Roy not to take advantage of it. When he watched those shoulders sag just enough for him to notice, Roy felt a pang of sympathy. It hurt to see Edward as anything but happy, it physically hurt him.

His face softening, Roy walked over slowly to come up behind Edward. Reaching out he grasped Edward's shoulders and gently pulled him away from the door and turned him around while simultaneously pulling him close. Wrapping his arms around the firm body, he held Edward against him gently, his head resting down against Edward's.

Edward was too stunned to react at all for several seconds. It wasn't just because Roy was hugging him, it was everything Roy had just done or tried to do for him. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, fighting not to let it shake. He was almost afraid to move lest Roy be dislodged. So while it tugged on his guilt, Edward gave in, if only for a short while. Resting his head against Roy's chest he closed his eyes as he listened to the steady heartbeat. "Thank you."

Roy was sure his heart skipped a beat as he realized that Edward wasn't going to pull away. Emboldened by it, he let his arms close in a fraction tighter around the warm body that until now, he'd only dreamed of holding. "Are you upset? Should I just kidnap you on Tuesday?"

Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. "You don't want to discover the consequences for kidnapping me. No… I should be okay now. Thanks to you." He said as his arms tentatively came up from behind Roy's back to rest lightly on the shoulders that had once been pure muscle. It was easy to feel, standing here like this, just how gaunt Roy had become.

"I just wish I could have gotten it completely my way." Roy said in a regretful tone, while trying _not _to notice how good Edward smelled.

"It still means a lot that you'd do that for me." Edward replied quietly. "It makes this a lot easier."

Roy lifted his head a bit so he could peer down at Edward, before going back to how he'd been before. "If it's my turn to be the troublemaker, I don't see a better time to have started. I promised I'd help you forget him, and if making sure no eulogies are said is of even the smallest help, I'll do it for you."

"Thank you." Edward repeated, and felt himself relax into Roy's arms. And against his better judgment, he took that as his clue to gently disentangle himself from the man, even though it ached to do so. Stepping to the side so he wouldn't have to hide the wistful expression on his face, he made his feet walk towards the staircase.

Roy looked after him, and sighed internally. But he was glad that it had lasted as long as it did. He knew it was a fantasy to expect anything more right now from Edward. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he followed after Edward looking for all the world as if a simple prolonged mutual hug hadn't affected him as much as it had.

But it had.


	14. Chapter 14

Sure took me long enough to swipe what I needed. Sorry everyone. But good news is that my laptop should finally be mostly fixed. They repaired my wireless only to discover that the reason it had gone bad was the motherboard had been recalled without my knowledge. So the motherboard finally went bad and took out the wireless with it. So they ordered in a new motherboard, only to find the supports for the new one were bad. So those had to be ordered again. Hopefully now everything will work and they'll ship it back so I can pick it up. I miss the thing.

Now I'll get the reviews from Chapter 13 answered, just not here. Please bear with me... technical difficulties you know.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

In the library, Edward grabbed one of the envelopes from his pile of mail. The same one in fact, that he'd been boring holes into earlier. He gave it a dark look before slitting it open with a gloved automail finger. He let the envelope fall back to the couch as he unfolded the heavy embossed paper with a scrolled handwritten message and signed at the bottom by no less than two people he couldn't quite disobey. It would have been like Roy as a Colonel refusing to pay a visit to the Fuhrer when requested. He let his eyes flick over the key parts of the message, before they closed in a willful act to muster up some patience.

Roy glanced once over at Edward before he leaned down to pick the discarded envelope back up. Turning it over he saw there was no return address, just the lines:

'_The Rt Hon. Edward Elric_

_175 W. Rembrooke Ln._

_Glass Rose Chateau_'

He glanced away from it, towards Edward. "Why were you glaring at the envelope? What is this?"

Edward looked over, and frowned at the item Roy still held. "Because, whatever idiot addressed that is going the right way to really piss me off." He said and folded the letter in his hands back as it had been. "They stopped about halfway through, but I know where they were going with it."

"I don't get it, Ed." Roy admitted, glancing back at the envelope. "I mean, everything looks normal. Well, as normal as it could look to me."

Edward shook his head, though the action wasn't directed at Roy. "Had they added three more words after this-" he pointed to the _'The Rt Hon' _on the top line, "-they would have been addressing me improperly, but by the title I turned down. It doesn't escape my notice that this is the first time it's happened, and it's happened now of all times."

Roy looked at the envelope again, before looking back at Edward as it crumpled in his hand. "What exactly did you turn down?"

This time, the shake of Edward's head was clearly for Roy. "It doesn't matter anymore. I turned it down, and I'll continue to do so. I won't be dragged in any further into the inner workings of this country. Much less this world. I've earned my right to go and live my own life, free of them, when I choose to do so."

"Is this your summons then?" Roy asked, glancing towards the letter in Edward's hand.

He nodded, "seems it was mailed out. I think it's getting progressively more difficult to find souls brave enough to enter property guarded by a llama."

"Just your llama." Roy smiled, and held out his hand. "May I?"

Edward shrugged and offered the letter out. "Have fun." As Roy took it from him, he stooped to gather the rest of his mail, letting most of it fall back to the couch and only keeping a few certain envelopes. Giving Roy a glance to see how he was doing with the fancy script, Edward walked away from the couch and towards one of the bookshelves.

Reaching out, Edward took hold of his copy of '_A Midsummer Night's Dream_', and pulled the top down towards him in a swift jerk. A hollow clunk followed by an eerie creak interrupted the silence of the library as the bookshelf swung in on itself like a common door. Shoving the book back into place, Edward went on through, preoccupied with the contents that would be in the envelopes he held.

Roy had looked around so fast at the noise his head should have flown off, but somehow it remained attached. He stared with widened eyes, and blinked once at the sight. He'd spent plenty of time in here with Edward, and never had he seen the bookcase do that. Curious, Roy abandoned reading the summons, and it remained clutched but forgotten in his hand as he walked towards the revealed doorway.

Edward let the envelopes flop to his oak desk, and he sat in the leather office chair while reaching towards the glass jar atop the desk to fetch himself a pen. Clicking it a few times absentmindedly he set it aside so he could open the first envelope.

Roy meanwhile was looking around in curiosity, knowing that Edward was ignoring him, but not caring. He was content just to look. It was clear that this was Edward's office, and it suddenly made sense. He'd forgotten until now, but Edward had said that his office was off the library. Yet he'd never seen a door for it, nor thought to ask. He'd just sort of forgotten about it. But now, he stood in that very room.

The walls were washed in a semi-gloss cream paint, the sideboard panels the same cedar wood as in the ballroom. The floor carpeted in a plush slate gray that oddly enough, seemed to rather fit the room than detract from it. Along the wall behind Edward was a small wooden file cabinet, but otherwise the walls were occupied by framed black and white photographs of people Roy had never seen before.

Edward looked up from opening up a handwritten letter on thin paper, and watched as Roy slowly walked among the photographs. "They're some of the gypsies Al and I used to travel around with before we settled down here." He said as his gaze drifted back down to reading through the scribbled note. "Whenever we run into an old acquaintance we always try to get a picture. It's more Al's thing than mine, but I have the room and I need wall ornaments." He ended with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Roy looked over at him, "I think these people must mean more to you than you let on." He said with a faint smile, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You're not someone to surround yourself so closely with faces you don't care about."

A soft laugh escaped Ed's lips. "Perhaps not." And he looked back up at Roy as he folded the first letter and set it aside, reaching for the last envelope and beginning to slit it open. "They were as close to a family as anyone from this world could have been."

"They must have been an exceptional group of people." Roy observed, going back to looking at the pictures for a few seconds.

Edward nodded, and read through the other letter before he put them both in a deep drawer of his desk. It was filled over halfway with similar correspondence. He shoved the drawer shut again, and looked up at Roy before grabbing the pen he'd seized earlier and pulling a small notepad to him. Flipping it open to the small calendar in the back, he scribbled a note to himself.

Roy walked over to see, and noticed that Edward had written the word 'funeral', and promptly X-d out the coming Tuesday, September 22nd. "Feeling a bit ornery?" He asked lightly.

"Just a bit." Edward agreed and clicked the pen a few more times as he glared at the calendar, before he shut it abruptly and left it there. He placed the pen back in its jar and stood. "Are you getting hungry yet?"

Roy nodded, and moved away from the desk. "Of course I am. Are we going to lunch?"

"Lunch and then shopping." Edward said and walked towards where the library was still visible. "If you ever need to get in here, just pull my copy of '_A Midsummer Night's Dream_' towards you from the top of the binding. It'll free the switch that keeps the bookshelf in place." Edward said as they exited, and once Roy was clear, he easily tugged the bookshelf back closed.

"Did Al help you build that as well?"

"The bookshelf, yes." Edward said with a bit of a laugh. "It used to be just a regular door. But I decided I'd rather not have an open door policy. Especially considering some of the stuff that's in that desk."

"Such as?"

Edward raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck. "Alchemy stuff. They'd think it was satanic or something and make Josef Mengele look like a harmless kitten."

Roy recalled the name, and nodded in comprehension. He felt pretty certain that he'd never be letting anyone into that office. "So what does 'satanic' mean?" He asked as he hurried after Edward.

It felt like it took a long time, but soon the two of them were in the car heading back into the heart of London. The streets were just beginning to crowd with that pre-lunch hour group hustling to get the best spots at their favorite restaurants before the bigger companies let out. The congestion of cars only added to the confusion of the day, and Roy found it hard to believe that London catered more to pedestrians, than the amount of automobiles.

Edward pulled down a street that appeared lesser traveled, and traveled a few blocks before he parked the car precisely where cars were not allowed to park. A red line zone clearly marked as 'No Parking: Next 30 meters'. Naturally, Edward ignored the warnings of his car being towed, and shut off the engine. He knew that all the officials would have to do was look at the plates on his car, and not even their god could save them if they towed an official government vehicle belonging to one Edward Elric.

Roy however, was not comprehending this anomaly, and as he got out of the car he cast a somewhat reproachful look at the blond. "Can't you read?" He asked, waving a hand towards the sign.

Edward spared the sign an uncaring glance. "Of course I can." He said airily and stepped up onto the sidewalk. "I can park that car anywhere I want and nothing can be done about it. It's a government vehicle."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Abuse of power much?"

"Oh, shut up." Edward glowered at him and began walking towards one of the many small restaurants along the walkway.

Roy smirked successfully as he followed after Ed. "I'm right!" He declared with enthusiasm, catching the notice of several other people nearby. But he ignored them as he hurried faster to catch up to Edward. "You're a ba-ad government official. What was _I_ ever thinking?" He chided softly as he fell in beside the other man.

"How the fuck do you expect even someone of my intellectual caliber to figure out what _you_ were thinking all those years ago?" Edward asked him with an imported air of arrogance. "It's like trying to evaluate a lunatic."

How Edward suddenly ended up shoved into a decorative potted tree, Roy had no idea.

After they'd been seated at a table inside a restaurant whose name Roy still could not pronounce, nor the waiter's name, Roy sat back in the plush red booth bench as he toyed with an edge of the cloth napkin on his lap. His gaze was directed towards the tablecloth, almost in a disinterested manner.

Edward cleared his throat to get his attention as he waved a menu at him. "Come on, Flame. Eating time."

Roy took the menu from him, sitting up a bit more. "Thanks."

Edward read halfway through his menu before he snapped it closed and lay it aside while skewering Roy with a confused look. "What's wrong?" He asked, unable to take the sudden silence that had come over his friend.

Roy looked up at him, and half-closed his menu as he looked around. "Well first off, I keep getting stared at. Not that I'm not used to it, but it gets rather tiresome when the people staring at you either aren't someone you'd like to stare at you, or are just being rude." He said, all rather quickly.

Edward nodded slowly, glancing away briefly in thought. "And what else?"

"The fact I can't do anything about them." Roy ground out, and glared at one staring old lady in a table not too far away. "Look at what happens when I do this."

Edward watched as Roy snapped his fingers. Reflex action told him to move like hell was on his ass, but the bitter knowledge of where they were kept him sitting. A long sigh left him, and he felt as if he'd been holding it in for a long time. He met Roy's unhappy eyes, and nodded slowly. "I know." His tone was subdued. "It feels like part of you is missing, right? Like there's this void. A void you can't ever seem to fill." And Ed brought his hands up over the edge of the table to look down at them. "Like you've been stripped of the only protection you knew. But it gets easier… you actually held out mentioning it longer than I thought. But days will turn into weeks, and the months blend into years. And soon your body begins to forget. But your mind never does."

"And that makes it easier?" Roy asked with a frown. He did miss being able to use his alchemy. But it actually wasn't bothering him as much as he had thought it might. Just in those key times where he'd really have loved to set someone aflame.

"It sounds odd, but yes." Edward smiled at him calmly. "And it helps having others around who understand. Who know what you were once capable of."

"Which explains why I haven't been missing it very much." Roy said, his face brightening some from the gloomy look that had previously been there. "I've been kept busy by you."

Edward gave a soft chuckle, and raised his menu again. "Too right you have. And as for the people you don't want staring at you, just give them a good glare. If you can still glare like you used to, it'll be enough to make them have a spontaneous crap."

"That's gonna get smelly." Roy muttered to himself as his gaze swept the room again, before turning back to his menu.

Once their orders had been placed, it took a little over half an hour for the food to arrive. A half an hour which the two of them spent talking about what Al had been up to lately. After all, they both had a vested interest in Ed's younger brother. However once their food arrived, conversation fell by the wayside in lieu of eating.

The only exchange between them was Roy reaching to Edward's plate with his fork and knife at the same time Ed reached towards his. They made smooth work of exchanging the things they didn't like before settling in to eat.

And Roy ate with great enthusiasm. The food, while not up to the standards of home cooking he'd come to expect from Edward, was good. At this point, Roy would gladly eat anything that would put the weight back on him. He needed to become something other than the wraith he currently was, it wasn't healthy for him to be like this as he was no longer dying… odd concept that, considering.

It gave Edward a warm happiness to see Roy eating with such an appetite. He could admit he was very worried about Roy's physical condition, and he'd been worried that Roy's body would reject food. To see him eating regularly and with such enthusiasm made him feel more at ease. Soon he could work on helping Roy build back the body he used to have.

…a body Edward tried not to recall as he was sitting in a public restaurant.

Roy polished off his food rapidly, leaving the plate looking as clean as if nothing had ever been put on it. He sat back with a satisfied sigh, and relished in the feeling of the pang of hunger leaving his body again for now. He felt refreshed, and hardly sluggish at all despite how much he'd eaten.

As Edward finished he set his fork aside, and smiled as he saw Roy's plate was completely cleaned. "Do you need more?"

Roy rolled his eyes, "I'm not the black hole you are."

"Point taken." Edward grinned and turned to hail their waiter so they could get the check and leave.

Soon enough they were walking out of the restaurant, sharing an éclair between them. Though Roy had let Ed lick off the thick sugary icing as the thought of eating the icing had made him feel queasy. Aside from that, however, they were sharing.

Roy had tried not to stare at Edward as he'd licked the icing off of that éclair… he wasn't sure he could have controlled himself. And for now, he had to control himself.

They got back into the car, and soon Edward had pulled back out onto busier roads swarmed with pedestrians, bikes, cars, and double-decker buses. He drove them to another street, this one just a bit busier. He parked the car right out front, again in blatant disregard of the 'No Parking' signs.

Roy withheld the comment on his tongue, but judging by the look Ed sent his way, he hadn't needed to say it anyway. Smirking, he followed Edward into the store.

Where they were immediately swooped down upon by a brightly, and slightly gaudily, dressed man who introduced himself flamboyantly as Paulo.

Now Roy had been gay for quite some years, but he was definitely not so… _"oh my GOD! Sparkles! Glitter! Tiny dogs!"_ …no thank you.

Edward seemed to sense Roy's thoughts, and immediately smiled wolfishly at him before turning to Paulo. "It's been a long time! But I do need some help…" He trailed off, before looking at Roy pointedly.

Paulo gave a feminine gasp, one hand shooting to his mouth while the other went to his jaunty hip. "He looks positively… oh no, _no_! I cannot stand for this."

Edward was pleased to note Roy looked absolutely petrified. "I trust you completely."

Paulo seemed worried as he looked at Roy, clearly deciding he was a fashion disaster. "He looks like a Surrey country bumpkin. Positively ghastly. But I'll fix him up for you."

Roy managed to snap out of his shock long enough to scowl as Paulo planted an enthusiastic kiss on Ed's cheek. But before he knew it, he was suddenly seized by Paulo and yanked away into the store.

Edward laughed and waved as he watched Roy's panicked face fade away. He knew Roy would get over the shock soon enough. Though Ed knew he was probably in for a lecture once Roy returned. While he waited for the inevitable however, he walked off among the racks of clothes to browse.

He wasn't exactly a clothes shopping type… which was why he usually enlisted the help of his brother. But as Alphonse was not in the country, Ed would have to rely on another source. In the form of one flaming gay, and fashion obsessed Paulo.

Meanwhile, back near the rear of the store where the changing rooms were located, Roy was feeling quite nostalgic for his alchemy.

"These look exactly the same." Roy deadpanned as he stared at the reflection of the denim jeans that were clinging to him in all the right places. Though he had to admit, these ones did make his ass look pretty damn good.

Paulo waved a hand carelessly. "You obviously have no sense of taste. Now onto the next item…" he looked over one shoulder and clapped his hands imperiously, "Greta! Hurry hun, we don't have all day!"

Roy was starting to wonder if he shouldn't just flee.

Nearly an hour later, Edward was sitting on one of the checkout counters playing a game of Go-Fish with one of the clerks. Swinging his legs back and forth his feet clunked dully against the wood of the counter he had seated himself on. He found that being off the floor, quite literally, helped keep the salespeople at bay from asking him if he needed help.

"A '7'?" Asked the clerk, named Caitlin.

Edward looked down at his hand, the cards fanning out for him to check. "Nope."

Caitlin groaned and reached for the pool of cards.

"A'3'?" Edward asked as he examined his hand.

"Nope."

They continued like this for quite some time, until their pool of cards had nearly run out. Every now and then Caitlin would have to check out a customer, but aside from that, they continued to play the game. It was the most interesting thing to do at the moment.

It was around the time that they'd nearly run out of cards when another person interrupted their game.

"Only you could be so relaxed while I go through hell."

Edward cracked a grin as he looked over at Roy, his eyes doing an admiring sweep over the transformation. "Hell's been good to you." He replied as he met Roy's eyes. "Are you done?"

Roy scowled at him in order to hide his real reaction to Edward's appraising of how he looked. "If I'm not I can promise you I'll go insane. And then you really will have a lunatic on your hands."

"Now I wouldn't want that." Edward smirked and turned to Caitlin as he set his hand of cards down onto the counter face up. "Just bill the office, as usual."

Caitlin nodded with a cheerful smile and gathered up the cards, beginning to arrange them back into a deck. "Yes, Mister Elric."

Edward waved in farewell to her as he turned from the counter and began to walk towards the exit of the store. Roy close behind, as were the two porters carrying the rest of the clothes Roy had ended up choosing during his hour in fashion hell. The shopping bags were loaded into the boot of the car, and Edward tipped the two teenagers before he and Roy piled into the black government sedan.

"Where to now?" Roy asked as he fastened his seatbelt.

Edward put the car in gear and pulled back out onto the road, smoothly interjecting himself into the foot and car traffic. "Shopping for food. That should be less hellish for you."

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet, Fullmetal."

He laughed, and his only reply was to accelerate the car faster.

Roy studied the blond for a few minutes as they drove before he finally spoke. "I think I would have been able to convince you."

Edward tilted his head as he frowned, and finally looked over at Roy. "Been able to convince me of what?"

"To stay in Central." Roy replied. "Maybe not in the military perhaps, but I think I would have been able to convince you to stay in the city."

"And do what?" Edward laughed to himself, and returned to paying attention to the road.

Roy smiled, "I'm sure I would have thought of something creative."

"And most likely a bunch of crap too." Edward added with a nod of his head.

"But it would have worked, I'd be willing to bet."

Edward thought about that with a small smile, before he glanced towards Roy again. "If only because I was curious." And he knew precisely what he would have been curious enough about to convince him to stay.

The rest of the drive to a local market was relatively quiet, but far from companionable. And Edward pulled the car off into a dirt lot where a few other vehicles were parked at random angles. He chose such a random angle himself.

As they got out Roy breathed in deeply the smell of the fresh earth, the hay. It was refreshing after having been among all those buildings. But Edward had driven them to an open aired market sitting on the back porch of what could only be a farm. It was a nice change. Roy was starting to get accustomed to open space because of the chateau, and the city was beginning to feel a bit crowded.

"Come on, before you get lost and I have to leave without you." Edward chided teasingly over one shoulder.

Roy looked his way, finding that Edward was halfway across the dirt lot already. "Like you would!" He called to him, but nevertheless, dashed after the laughing man.

The stalls of vendors were colorful and aromatic. From baked goods to roasting green chili peppers, the air was alight with the smells of life. There were things Roy had never seen before, and things he had. But it all looked delicious out here in the open.

Roy stopped at one stall, and pointed out a strange yellow fruit that was flanked by rows of red blushed pears and fuzzy kiwi fruits. "Ed, what is that?"

Edward looked away from the pomegranates he was picking through, smiled, and reached over to pluck one up. He held it at eye level to Roy at just the right angle. "Star fruit."

"They look… inedible." Roy said, taking it from him.

"They're okay." Edward shrugged, and put two pomegranates in a plastic bag that also contained several apples. "If you want one get it."

The two of them toured the produce, followed by the warm baked breads where Edward only bought more flour much to Roy's confusion until Ed explained he made all his breads himself. At the dairy stalls Edward sifted through wide varieties of cheeses until he had what he wanted. When they ended up at the meat stalls where there were slabs of steak roasting on grilles with the fat sizzling angrily onto the hot coals below, Roy had been loaded down by quite a few shopping bags.

Edward glanced through the meats sitting packed in ice, ignoring the cooking examples not far off. He had soon collected a fair amount of steaks, ground meats, roasts, and a whole duck.

The duck, much to Roy's bafflement, was still alive.

Which was why they loaded their already purchased food into the car while the bird in question was taken away for a quick beheading and plucking so it could be wrapped in butcher paper.

"I never would have taken you for a duck killer." Roy teased as they wandered back past a stall stacked with steaming loaves of baguettes and rolls.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Freshest that way, and besides, I'm not the one killing it."

It appeared that the duck's doom would take a while, which was why Edward led them to a stall closest to the farmland. It was the largest yet, and it soon became apparent why they were there. It was stacked on two sides with bales of fresh cut hay and alfalfa. The other areas were lined with other foraging food and some basic medicines for animals.

Roy watched as Edward immediately began grabbing bags of seed and a strange grain that had been flaked. "For the llama or the reject herd?"

"For the mom-to-be." Edward smiled, and to be on the safe side, grabbed a pair of long rubber gloves that would reach to his elbows. "And myself, in case I have to go in after it."

"Don't you have a vet?"

"Not a vet that will risk being out there with Nitro and the rest of that herd." Edward said. "I rehabilitated them with the help of a vet calling out instructions."

"So what are you going to call the foal?"

A shrug. "Depends on the gender. If it's a boy I'm calling it 'Fullmetal'. If it's a girl I'm calling it 'Flame'."

It took Roy a moment to realize the not-so hidden jab in that answer. By that time, Edward was already paying. "Hey! That's unfair, name the girl 'Fullmetal'."

"'Fullmetal is hardly a girl's name." Edward smirked. "'Flame' on the other hand…"

Roy scowled. "First you leave me with Mister Glitter, and now you want to name a filly after me?"

Edward chuckled, trying to contain himself from outright laughing. "Oh cheer up. You should be honored."

"I'm ecstatic." Roy continued to scowl as Edward finished paying.

"I could call her 'Colonel Bastard' if you think that's more suitable." He pointed out.

"Don't trouble yourself."

The made another trip to the car to drop off the items for the pregnant mare before they went back to collect their butchered duck. Only then were they on their way home at last.

Roy was trying to ignore the annoying desire inside of him that the unborn foal would in fact, be a filly and thus named after him. It was completely ridiculous that he should desire such a thing… yet he did. Sometimes he really confused himself. It was safe to say at this point that he was now looking forward to the day Camira went into labor. Maybe a little filly wouldn't be as scary as a bigger horse? At least until she grew big herself…

They were pulling up towards the gate when Edward groaned audibly, and the car slowed as if reacting to the blond's sudden desire to put something off as long as possible.

"What is it?" Roy asked with a frown directed towards him.

Edward took a deep, annoyed sounding breath, and his shoulders stiffened just enough to be noticeable. "You'll soon find out. I just hope Nitro isn't out with the horses too far."


	15. Chapter 15

Koorii: You're welcome! Yes... that poor potted plant is always such a handy thing to shove people into.

GreedxEd: Of course there's a cliffhanger. You know I love 'em XD.

Paon: Yes, it is. But like I have a reason for everything, there's a reason for that too.

B.D.: Paulo rawks XD.

ferret: Kissing? What's that? XD

Night-Childe: Don't you love the technical difficulties? And guess what? My laptop is fixed-ish ... they made an error.

Shawn: Paulo would love being related to Armstrong. They'd get along smashingly.

Cobizah: This was your first? I feel special XD. I'm glad you have a good impression of the pairing so far.

Addict: I don't know about you, but I need humor in my life.

roarargh: ...have you been lurking? And thanks XD

Angyl: Aww are you doing any better? You poor thing.

Phoenix: I'm with you there, I don't particularly like shopping.

SomethingOfImportance: Always laugh loud enough to make the others hear you. That's the best part after all.

secret25: You shall have to see XD ...for all anyone but me knows yet, it's a random stray dog.

Koneko: I have duck recipes too... duck is amazingly good. But yes, you can buy them live and have them butchered. They're best that way I think. Must ducks in the stores come packaged frozen and that's just not good. And yes, Camira was already pregnant.

mrawgirl: You just need a nap. Was the trip fun?

E: You know you want to get help from Paulo too XD

* * *

Okay, some updates in general from my end.

My laptop is back, I have all my stories transferred back over at last. However I still am having one minor issue... though not right now so it's weird. But I need to take it back in to get them to fix the screen, I think they forgot to put a screw back in. Hopefully they can do it there and then, but if not, you know what's happened to me.

Fallen is updated to Chapter Eight.

I can walk again! Though I admit it's still hurting at times, and I still can't run. But I'm getting there. So hopefully I'll be fully recovered soon.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

"You better have a good reason for coming here and wasting my time."

"Well, I don't know if you've been keeping in touch with the news lately, but I doubt it'd have been hard to hear about at all those clubs you go to at night. Does your father know about that?"

Alice crossed her arms, blue eyes narrowing at the mismatched sallow ambassador. "Going to try and ruin my reputation?"

Fane laughed appreciatively, and waved a hand casually to brush off the comment. "You do a fine job of that yourself."

She snorted, and one hand went to her hip while the other flicked her riding crop against one thigh in a monotone rhythm. "Out of anyone my father wouldn't believe, it's you. Edward, while he has his many faults, is not faulted in believing you to be ridiculous. So if you came here thinking you could somehow blackmail me for something," she fixed a stern gaze on him, "you picked the wrong girl."

Fane smirked, "true. But I'm not here to blackmail you, Lady Alice. I have a different proposition."

"Talk quickly," she ordered, glancing towards where a groom was holding her thoroughbred mare. "My horse has a better personality than you and I'd rather get back to it."

"Better be careful how much you insult me." Fane warned her with a smile. "Your father may not believe my words. But not all evidence has to come from my mouth. It would be so easy, after all, to invite him down to one of those clubs for a drink after a hard day's work at Parliament, and then whoops!"

Alice's eyes narrowed again as her lips pursed into a thin, angry line.

"All of a sudden there's his daughter!" Fane's smile never wavered. "Get my point, Lady Alice? While I can't do a blasted thing against Edward, it doesn't mean you're off the potential chopping block on my way to getting what I want."

"All you politicians are exactly the same." She replied tersely. "Always thinking you can throw your weight around when it suits you. But that's where my being royalty, and you being a foreign commoner come into play. You think you're the first person to come here and threaten me with such drivel? Get a clue, Banciu. Now tell me this proposition of yours before I order you to be arrested and deported back to your beloved country."

"I wouldn't bet on it if I were you." Fane told her calmly, and glanced over to the horse. "Just like I wouldn't bet on your mare actually finishing the steeplechase. But we all have our lapses of judgment." He continued on, ignoring her furious look. "Now to the matter of this _Roy_." He spat the name distastefully. "He's the wild card we've both been waiting for."

Alice laughed bitterly. "He's too close to Edward from what I hear. You'll never turn him to your favor. Even if Edward didn't want to tie you to the train tracks and watch the nine o'clock turn you into a human crepe."

Fane wagged a finger at her. "You're not listening. Whoever said anything about turning Roy from Edward?"

She glared. "Get to your bloody point, Banciu. Before I have you thrown out."

"We both want the same thing, just in different ways." Fane told her in his best diplomatic tone. "You wanted Raymond and Edward kept getting in your way. Dragging him off to keep doing research and such nonsense like that. Now Roy is here and he looks exactly the same. So claim him for yourself-"

"You don't think that thought hasn't crossed my mind?" Alice snapped, her hand clenching around her riding crop until her knuckles paled. "If anyone deserves Roy it's me! But it'll be the same as it was with Raymond. That damn Edward will keep getting in my way, and I can't do a bloody thing about it! He's untouchable as far as the prime minister and queen are concerned. He's not like you, where I can threaten to deport his ugly ass." She finished with a growl, and scowled at the grass underneath her boots.

Fane coughed lightly, and rolled his eyes. "I'll pretend I didn't hear the last comment."

"I bet you will."

"You couldn't get Raymond because you were working alone." Fane reminded her with a smirk. "If I help you, you could get your hands on him. Take him for your own, and make Edward suffer the loss of his dear friend."

Alice considered him silently for some time, considered the merits of the idea. "And what's in it for you?" She finally asked.

Fane's smirk turned nothing short of threatening at the question. "Me? I just want to get my own little revenge. Edward Elric has held too much power over me for too long. His time is up. And Roy shall help us bring Charles Kain's beloved advisor to his knees."

She rolled her eyes at the admission. "Whatever, you men and your politics. So long as my only role is to finally get what I want, do as you please with Edward. Just make sure you keep him away from Roy long enough for me to make him see what he's missing."

"Just make sure you go to the Hawthorne's party." Fane told her.

"I'm sure I can brave going to that fat oaf Mary's coming out party if my reward is Roy." Alice sighed lamentably. "I hate my cousins, they're all so… unworthy of my time."

"You're a great lady, you can't expect all women to measure up to the high standards you set."

Alice swatted his shoulder with her riding crop. "Careful of your compliments, politician. I know they're laced with falsehoods. But… in this case you're right. I am great."

Fane smirked, and rubbed at his shoulder as the blond woman sashayed off towards her horse. "You should go stake out your future claim. Make sure Roy knows you exist before some chit comes along and steals him."

Alice took the reins of her mare from the groom abruptly, and swung onto the prancing animal. Fixing her eyes on Fane, she smirked. "Good thing we're such close neighbors, Edward and I." She said cockily. "And Fane?"

"What is it?"

She smirked at him arrogantly. "Next time, don't stare at my ass. You don't see me looking at yours." And with that, she gave her horse's rump a smack with the whip and cantered off towards the main gate of the estate.

Fane watched her depart, feeling a lot better than he had in years. Finally, things were looking up.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

The tires of the car crunched slowly over the gravel before the gate closing off the driveway. Edward took a deep breath before getting out of the car, not looking at Roy the entire time. Instead he walked straight over to the padlock, also pretending not to notice the person waiting near the side of the driveway.

"Still as rude as always I see." Alice said sweetly. "So until I'm queen you won't be polite?"

Edward held his tongue for a moment, before he turned his head, still unlocking the chains on the gate. "Lady Alice, the day you become queen, is the day I become an American."

"Good heavens!"

"I know." Edward agreed and turned away. "What do you want?"

Alice seemed to have recovered from the minor shock of _anyone_ wanting to be an American because of her. And she'd thought Fane was insulting at times. "I want nothing from you."

Edward knew far better than to be pleased by the statement. "Why are you here?" He rephrased.

"Can't I come see a neighbor and his," she looked over at the car where she could see Roy watching her, "guest?" She smiled her best flirting smile at Roy. If she wasn't mistaken, he was even better looking than Raymond. That eye patch was nothing but purely sexy. This could work out nicely.

"That'd be a first." Edward remarked dryly and shoved open the gates. "I'm a bit busy, so if this is a social call I'm afraid it'll have to wait."

From inside the car, Roy couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, but he could tell that Edward wasn't pleased this girl was here. Though, in her late twenties she hardly looked like a girl anymore. And it took him a moment to place why he thought she looked familiar. He could swear he'd once had a one night stand with a hooker back in Central that looked exactly like her.

Well… Candy had actually been a _him_… but that was beside the point.

Like Candy, there was definitely something wrong with this woman. Besides the fact that she seemed to be oozing arrogance, which made him think she needed to get off her high horse. Literally and figuratively, in fact. There was clearly something messed up in this woman's head if she was sitting astride a horse that tall.

And then Edward was getting back into the car with a scowl he didn't bother to conceal as the woman on her horse rode on in ahead through the now open gates.

"What is it?" Roy asked immediately once Edward was seated.

Ed took a deep, calming breath, and exhaled it slowly as he drove the car forward. "Alice wishes to meet you."

"Alice?" And then Roy did a double-take at the woman. "That's Alice?"

Edward's scowl deepened at Roy's sudden interest. "Yes."

"How'd she manage to get in?"

"It's hard to reason with a stupid woman. Especially when she just wants to jump you."

Roy caught the tone, and frowned a bit as he reached over to rest his hand on Edward's knee briefly. "Don't worry, I'm not attracted to her or anything. I'm just surprised at her is all."

"Why?" Edward asked, his misgivings starting to fade.

"She looks like a cross-dressing hooker I had a one night stand with when I was fifteen."

Edward's eyes widened, and he looked over at Roy quickly in shock. "You did _what_ at fifteen? No… never mind," he looked away, "doesn't surprise me."

Roy rolled his eyes, "I used protection. Or I would have."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Candy was more a… _Man_dy."

Edward snickered. "Ah, so that was the cross-dressing choice."

"I didn't realize it until I was too far-" Roy cut himself off prudently. "But that's too much information."

"I'll say." Ed grinned, more amused than annoyed about Roy's exploits. After all, he'd known about them since he was twelve, this was hardly new news. "So Alice looks like a cross-dressing male hooker you once screwed over, huh? Surprising how fitting it is."

"I don't plan to do anything with this one." Roy muttered. "She's not exactly my type."

"What is your type?" Edward asked before he could stop himself, and nearly kicked himself for doing so. "Never mind, it's none of my business."

Roy opened his mouth to stop him, but Edward had already gotten out of the car. They were in the garage without Roy even realizing they'd stopped. With a sigh, Roy got out as well, bracing himself for what lay ahead.

"Don't you have a stable or grooms? What am I supposed to do with my precious darling?" Alice asked as she hopped down from her mare.

Edward shrugged, "I have no need for such things. Your fault for riding over. You live close enough to just walk."

Alice grimaced at the idea that she might walk to anything that didn't have an alternative mode of transportation available for it.

Roy walked out of the garage to where she and Edward were standing in the driveway. "Think Nitro might watch the horse?"

"Nitro?" Edward laughed, "Nitro would-" and then he stopped laughing as his face lit up, having been struck with what Roy really meant. "Nitro _would_."

"Nitro would." Roy agreed sagely, and smiled at Alice. "Hi."

"Hey." Alice grinned at him, and flipped her blonde hair invitingly. "I'm Alice."

"Roy." He replied, and smiled at Edward. "Why don't you get Nitro and I'll get Alice here something to drink?" He looked back over at her. "You must be thirsty."

Edward could only imagine what Roy would put in that drink. "Good idea."

Roy shot Ed a covert wink before turning his full attention to Alice. "Shall we?"

Alice grinned to herself, this might be easier than she thought. Who needed Fane? "Absolutely."

Edward watched Roy lead Alice into the house, chattering to her amicably. When they were gone, a grin broke out onto his face. He wasn't sure what exactly Roy planned to do to Alice, but he knew it was bound to embarrass her at the very least. And it did help him relax, knowing that Roy wasn't interested in her. After all, if Edward's guess was correct, Alice was a far cry from the person of choice Roy would want.

With a slight smile he turned to the mare Alice had ridden in on, and clucked it over while holding out a hand. Once she'd come, he patted her gently. "Come along then. Nothing against you, but your mistress isn't exactly my favorite person. I'll just make sure Nitro doesn't frighten you too bad."

Meanwhile inside the kitchen, Alice had leaned against the counter next to Roy as she batted her lashes and watched what he was doing. "Your hands look so strong."

Internally, Roy gagged. He didn't even what to think about what she was hinting. He only wanted to touch Edward. "They should be, I use my hands a lot." He explained coolly as he poured some wine into a glass for her, while tipping in a few drops of a medicine that he knew when mixed with wine, would become a powerful hallucinogenic. His brief trip to the restroom to "fix his hair" had been worth the raiding of Edward's personal medicinal supplies.

It did pay to be an alchemist by trade.

Alice accepted her wine with a flirty smile. "I like that. What do you like to do?"

Roy did not fail to catch the hint, and he poured himself his own glass of un-drugged wine. He could use a drink. "Right now I'm enjoying the thought of Edward carting in all those groceries on his own."

Back in the garage…

Edward swore to himself as he loaded himself down with another bag. He really wished he had another llama right now. One that he could trust to go inside his house and not destroy anything. He needed someone to help him carry all this stuff. And naturally Roy was working on getting rid of Alice.

So he heaved and huffed, and began to make his way inside with the first load of groceries. Though he supposed it was better him than Roy, Roy wasn't exactly in good enough health to carry heavy loads for very long. And if Edward thought about it, he didn't want Roy straining himself like that too soon.

As he teetered into the kitchen his eyes widened as he saw Alice nearly on the floor, supporting herself with the counter as she squealed and laughed giddily at the floor. "What the hell?"

"She's just hallucinating." Roy said casually as he come over to help with some of the bags. "Apparently your floor is quite the comedian."

Edward nodded slowly, eyes still a bit wide. "Gotta love alchemy." He said, correctly guessing what Roy had done. If there was one thing they knew, it was how to create what they wanted from other things.

"The basic principles are still there." Roy smiled and said over another bout of raucous laughter from an inebriated Alice.

"Indeed they are."

"Edward!" Alice suddenly shrieked, whirling around so fast she ended up on the floor. But she didn't appear to notice as she pointed a shaking finger at him. "No more interfering, he's mine! Fane promised I'd get him."

Edward stared at her passively. "Uh-huh." He sighed and walked over to a nearby counter to begin pulling food out of the bags. "And who exactly did Fane promise you?"

"Roy." Alice said gleefully, and began crawling on her hands and knees to where an alarmed and increasingly disgusted Roy stood.

Edward's golden eyes narrowed, and he stepped in front of her to block her path. Not moving even when she grabbed onto his legs. "Why did Fane promise you Roy?"

"He's mine, everyone knows that." Alice replied, and giggled. "Puppy!"

"I should have given her more, turn her completely crazy." Roy said grimly.

Alice peeked out at Roy from behind Edward's legs. "Hi!"

Roy averted his eyes pointedly, and went back to putting food away.

Edward seethed silently to himself for a moment before he reached down and hauled her to her feet. "Listen, Alice, I wouldn't put much trust in anything Fane promises."

Alice made a noise that said exactly what she thought about that, and squealed before racing over to Roy where she wrapped her arms around him before he could think to move. "Mine!" She declared, much like a child getting a new toy. "He's going to marry me and we're going to have that unicorn!" She pointed towards the sink where apparently there was a unicorn.

Roy pried her off with Edward's help. "Listen, as flattering as your dedication is, it's creepy." He told her frankly. "I'm not interested in you, so just give it up."

"But the unicorn!"

"No." Roy said in a final tone.

"It's the unicorn! It's evil!" And Alice shrieked as Edward began to drag her away. "It's making you hate me! I can't lose you too!"

"I think I'll send her on her way now." Edward said with a roll of his eyes, and Roy couldn't help but agree. "Will you finish with the groceries? There are only a few things still left in the car."

"I'll handle it." Roy assured him, and helped Edward out to the garage with Alice.

And it was a good thing too, because every few inches she wanted to stop and either try clinging to Roy, hit Edward, or declare that there was some sort of mythical being around. It took them a while to get to the garage, but get there they did.

Edward thanked Roy, and then hauled Alice towards where Nitro was standing guard over Alice's horse. The mare looked rather nervous about the llama that kept trying to nip at her. "Nitro, off with you." He told the llama, dragging a bawling Alice at this point.

Something about rabbits and Roy.

Edward hoped it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Stand still." Edward almost begged the wary looking mare, and he didn't blame her. After being harassed by Nitro and then Alice being all strange, any animal would be rightfully concerned for their safety.

It took a few tries, and some patient words to the horse, but Edward managed to hoist an uncooperative Alice back into the saddle. She immediately slumped forward over the mare's neck.

Edward patted the horse soothingly and took the reins in his hand. Talking quietly to her he began to lead her out towards the gate. Once they were out on the road, Edward tied the reins up so they wouldn't be a hazard and aimed the mare the right direction. "Take her home, you know the way back to your own barn I expect." And he gave the horse a light slap to the rump, sending the jittery mare off at a dead run for home.

When Edward returned into the kitchen he found Roy facing the wall, leaning his hands on the counter as he caught his breath. "You've done a lot of walking today."

Roy looked over with a smile. "It's a lot better, better than it was when I was still sick anyway. Don't worry about me, I'll get my stamina back."

"But I do worry about you." Edward smiled back, and went over to him. "Shouldn't it be nice to know someone's finally worried about you?"

"Even if it makes me feel a bit guilty, yes." Roy said softly, and stood there gazing back into Edward's eyes for nearly a minute, before he moved away from the counter. "I still have to get those clothes out."

Edward moved away as well. "I'll help."

With both of them it didn't take long, and soon Edward was sitting on the edge of Roy's bed as Roy put the clothes away.

"What's on your mind, Fullmetal?"

Edward looked up to see Roy watching him out of the corner of his one eye. "Thinking about what Alice said about Fane."

Roy half-turned, even as he put away a pair of jeans. "You're thinking he's up to something." He said even as he thought about it. "You're probably right. Alice would be an easy target if she had a thing for Raymond."

Edward nodded, and leaned back with his hands on the covers. "Fane would have no problem exploiting her to his own advantage. He probably thinks he's being clever about it. I have a few theories on why he'd do that, but I can't know for sure. Either way, none of them make me like him any more than I already do."

Roy nodded, turning back to what he was doing. "He's not exactly topping my list of favorite people here either."

"I don't think he tops anyone's list of favorite people once they find out just how slimy he can be." And Edward frowned at the carpet. "But this time he has no idea what he's trying to meddle with. If I can get some concrete proof that he's trying to exploit the nobility, I can finally have him tossed out."

"Is your training for spying really that rusty?"

"Shut up." Edward stuck his tongue out childishly as Roy laughed. "Up 'till this point he's merely been a nuisance every few days out of a week. But this is something else. If he's trying to use Alice to get to you, I don't feel comfortable with his plans, whatever they are."

Roy mulled that over, and then stepped away from what he was doing to walk over to Edward. "Try not to worry too much. It'll come together in the end, it always does. People like Fane? His survival time is limited. He'll slip soon enough and then you can have your wish seen through."

Ed looked over at him as Roy sat down beside him on the bed. "She thinks I stole Raymond from her since we were always working with each other. I'm sure part of this is her own little vendetta."

"Is she going to the funeral?" Roy asked him.

"Not if you take her name off the invitee list." Edward flopped back down onto the bed with a sigh. "Which neither of us is capable of doing I'm afraid. But hopefully she'll have enough decorum to not make any scenes."

Looking down at him, Roy smiled, albeit a bit sadly. He longed to touch Edward, kiss a smile back onto his face, take away all his worries. But for now… this was enough. It had to be until Edward could open himself for more. "If you could have said something to Raymond, one last thing. What would it have been?"

Edward looked at him without expression for a moment, before he slowly sat up and stared at the wall. "Beyond all the cursing? I would have told him that I was wrong. Even if I never told him that I trusted him so deeply because of his resemblance to you." He sighed. "I would have told him I was wrong to think I could have trusted someone I came to realize I didn't know at all."

Roy nodded slowly, and after hesitating a bit, he put his arm around Edward's shoulders gently. "I meant what I said, you can believe that." He replied quietly. "I'll help you forget about him. Until all you see when you look at me, is me."

Edward turned to gaze at him with a small, almost uncertain smile. "I already am beginning to."


	16. Chapter 16

B.D.: Gosh you and me both. It's killing me too, trust me, this waiting.

GreedxEd: Not even with the unicorn?

Koorii: That is an awesome coincidence. And sure, why not XD. Alice needs a higher purpose.

bob: All of the above will be coming shortly.

Night-Childe: Alice is definitely going to be mortified. I would be, but then I'd not try and come between Roy and Ed.

Paon: It is, actually.

Lost: Thanks!

Addict: Do I win money?

roy-rules: Uh-huh... suuure you haven't -P. I'll let you off this time. hehe. And really? You'll still marry me? XD

anmb: Yay! I get a pretty ornament! I need more of those.

Phoenix: Oh that'd be far too much fun.

Choas: Eh, if you want to see the random smut, it's in my LJ XD. But they definitely need to form a relationship in my mind, besides, the buildup has it's own benefits. When I finally do let them get in bed together, everyones a lot happier.

ferret: hehe, don't worry, they'll get to the kissing soon. They can't resist it for much longer... or I couldn't when I was writing.

* * *

Well, my day was officially off to a crappy start. But I did well in school today after I finally got myself sorted out. I spent most of my morning in tears, but I think we all have those days. And now I am relatively happy again.

Tissues may or may not be needed. It could be I was only teary because I've been an emotional wreck the past three weeks. Or because I was listening to some of the sadder Lifehouse songs, one of which this was partly written to. So, have the tissues on stand by, just in case.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

The morning of the funeral Edward lay in bed as the predawn light cracked over the horizon, turning his room a pale blackish blue hue. He lay on his side, staring blankly at the wall. The only sign he was alive was the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the random clenches his hand would make to the sheets as his thoughts churned. As he tried to sort them out, hide them away. Find a mask to guard himself behind.

At least from everyone but Roy. To Roy, he was an open book instead. Especially considering what today was.

He felt like he was falling apart inside, at the same time Roy was mending him. Pain shouldn't go along with healing, but it did. And it didn't make it any easier trying to hold on for another day. He still had his doubts about what would happen when he told Roy the truth, but he knew he had to. Otherwise he'd never get over this.

Even if Roy would shun him.

Edward drew in a long breath, as if he hadn't been breathing the entire night he'd been staring at the wall. And it had been the entire night. He dreaded sleeping the night before the funeral, so he hadn't. And at dinner he had barely touched his food. Right now, the mere thought of breakfast made him feel nauseous.

Slowly he began to sit up, the covers rustling softly around him, and the bed dipping down. He brushed his hair out of his face with a numb swipe of his hand. As much as he wanted to stay here in bed all day and not move, he knew he couldn't. He may not be hungry, but Roy would be. And there was somewhere he needed to be later that morning.

He took his shower at a freezing temperature, gasping as the cold water washed over his body. It was a needed shock to his nerves. It helped give him some clarity of mind. Helped give him some energy he was sorely lacking after a night of no sleep.

He stood there under the icy water after he'd washed, his forehead resting against the cold, damp tiles. Eyes closed, he drew in slow deep breaths even as one clenched fist rested with a thump against the shower wall next to his head. The fist opened, and the hand dragged down the tiles until it fell limply by his side again.

After a while, he got out of the shower before he became too numb from the cold. After dressing, and dealing with his hair, he left his room to start down the stairs.

As he neared the kitchen, he paused for a moment in the hallway. The light was on. But he thought for sure he'd turned it off already. With a frown, he continued forward.

"Hey."

Edward stopped in the doorway in numb shock.

Roy smiled at him bracingly, knowingly, and held out a mug of something that was still steaming. "It's okay." He said gently.

Edward looked from the mug, back to Roy, feeling the sting of tears behind his eyes. But he refused to let them come. "You…"

"Sometimes, you need to be taken care of too." Roy explained as he walked over.

Edward accepted the mug of tea slowly, staring up into Roy's understanding eyes. "I don't know if I can keep anything down. Knowing I have to go to the funeral… it makes me feel so sick." He said quietly.

Roy nodded, "try." He said, resting a hand on Edward's shoulder comfortingly. "You'll need it. I know this upsets you, but I'll take care of you today. I promise."

"What about you?" Edward asked, "I need to-"

"I can take care of myself." Roy interrupted him, and began to guide him over to the table. "So don't fret over me too right now."

Edward sat heavily in a chair, feeling as if he'd deflated. "I shouldn't care one way or the other whether or not I have to go. But it's all so wrong… I just want to forget."

Roy pulled around another chair and sat down in front of Ed. He took Edward's free hand in one of his, squeezing it gently. "At the end of today, I'll still be here. You'll be okay, Edward."

And Edward looked at him for a long time, before he finally squeezed Roy's hand back. "Thank you." He raised the mug of tea to his lips and took a tentative sip while focusing all the attention he could on Roy's thumb rubbing small circles against his hand.

Roy sat there diligently with Edward, coaxing him to keep drinking the tea. He knew that had he not, Edward might not have eaten until tomorrow at the earliest, and probably not very much at all. While tea wasn't food, it was a start to soothe a hungry stomach that didn't even realize it needed something. Once all the tea was gone, Roy got up to grab a few crackers and a banana.

Edward watched with glassy eyes as Roy sliced the banana for him onto the crackers. "Sorry."

Roy glanced up at him, still preparing something for Edward to eat. "Don't apologize. None of this is your fault." He said simply, and set the knife down to hold out a cracker with some banana on it to him. "Slowly."

He took it wordlessly, and held it up to his mouth for a few seconds as an internal war roiled inside of him. And then Roy squeezed his hand reassuringly, and Edward was able to take a small bite at last. Slowly he chewed, not even tasting the food. Each bite came easier after the first as Roy continued to distract him by either touch or just saying random words of encouragement.

Edward hated seeming weak in front of Roy, but he felt gratitude nonetheless for what Roy was doing. And he knew that Roy wouldn't say anything about it.

Roy waited patiently until Edward had eaten the small amount Roy had laid out for him. Only then did he stand up, releasing Edward's hand as he did so. "Just sit there. I'm going to get myself some food, and I'll be back."

And Edward did, not thinking he even had the energy to move, or the will.

Roy reheated some leftovers from a previous breakfast, and brought them over to the table. As soon as he sat down he picked up his fork in one hand, and Edward's hand in the other. He ate, even as he made sure Edward didn't shut down. He was worried about the blond.

Once Roy had finished, Edward stood stiffly, as if he'd forgotten how. "We should be going." He said in a forced steady tone.

Roy nodded, and cleaned up in a matter of a minute before heading after Edward. The walk to the car was a silent one, even if Edward was constantly drawing comfort from Roy just being nearby. And when Roy stopped Edward from getting into the driver's side, and took away the keys, Edward didn't protest. Instead he meekly let Roy guide him to the other side.

As Roy started the car, he looked over at Edward. "Just tell me where to go."

Edward nodded.

It took them not even half an hour to reach the mortuary where the service was being held. In the car park past the many armed guards, people milled about in small, tight-knit groups of black clothes. Roy parked the car in an empty space, and got out. As he walked towards the rear of the car to join Edward, he turned an ignorant shoulder to the looks he was getting. He knew they'd be staring at him through the whole thing.

Edward looked over at Roy, and gave him a tight smile before nodding, almost to give himself some reassurance. "I'll be fine." He said in a carefully controlled voice.

Roy knew better than to argue, he knew Edward was just trying to convince himself of that for the duration of the funeral. To keep from breaking down into anger or the nausea he expected Edward was feeling. "You will." He agreed gently.

Edward gazed at him for a moment longer, feeling the turmoil at that face at a time like this. And he looked away, hating himself for it. "It's time." He said and started walking towards the building.

Roy followed along behind, ready to pick Edward up when at the end the man couldn't take any more. The sadness he felt was not for the loss of the one they were here to supposedly bury, but for Edward.

At the door, they were greeted by Charles who tactfully knew better than to ask Edward how he was.

"Straight inside. Thomas will show you to your seats." Charles said with a gentleness that wouldn't have been out of place trying to soothe a frightened animal.

Edward nodded, and forced a smile. "Thank you."

Roy nodded to Charles as he followed Edward inside. "Thanks."

Charles nodded in understanding.

Edward couldn't have said if anyone was trying to get his attention. Couldn't say if anyone was even talking. All he could hear was a silence pressing in on him like a vice. Each step he took seemed far too slow, felt too numb. He felt completely detached from his body as he walked towards the thrown open doors leading to the room for the funeral. He wasn't even sure he truly saw anyone else as his eyes were drawn to the casket.

At the threshold of the doors, he felt his feet stop moving. And try as he might, he couldn't convince them to step again. His eyes couldn't seem to move from the black casket resting there on the high dais, gleaming in the soft light.

Roy looked from Thomas, back to Edward who still looked frozen. "I'll take care of him, you said front row on the left?"

Thomas looked at Roy, and nodded. "It's like he doesn't even see us."

"He probably doesn't." Roy answered and as Thomas moved away, Roy took Edward gently by one elbow. "Fullmetal." He whispered tenderly.

Edward heard his name be called, the name that when said in that voice, broke through to him. And he blinked even as he looked over at Roy. "Bastard."

Roy smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, me." He began to gently guide Edward from the doorway and ever closer to the casket. "I'm right here for you, don't look at it. Don't look at him, look at me."

And Roy succeeded in leading Edward over to find their seats. He sat Edward down, and sat next to him as Edward stared at the ground with unhappy eyes. Once Roy looked around to be sure they were relatively free of people close enough to eavesdrop, he spoke again.

"Do you remember those flowers you made in your alchemy exam to save those other people?" Roy asked him gently.

Edward nodded numbly. "What about them?"

Roy smiled, and laughed softly to himself for a second. "I saved some you know. And once they died I had them pressed and dried. I kept them at my house, to remind me of you all the times you were gone."

"Why?" Edward asked quietly. "They were just flowers."

"Not to me." Roy replied with a smile. "They made me happy, to see that you could create something so beautiful out of what would have been a disaster. They reminded me all those times where everything looked hopeless, that if I sent you to make it right, it could turn out okay."

Edward was silent.

However, Roy knew the blond was still listening. "And then you were gone, and I had to do it myself. But as long as I had those flowers to remind me of you, I knew it would all be okay."

"The flowers are gone now." Edward pointed out quietly. "You're here, and they're… gone."

"Not exactly." Roy corrected with a small smile. "Because you're here. As long as you're here, everything will become beautiful again. Watch and see, it'll be okay."

Edward had straightened, and was gazing at Roy. The warmth he felt at Roy's words was burning away the ice that had settled inside him, that had been making him sick at the thought of where he was. Slowly, he began to hear more than just Roy's voice again. And he realized much to his confusion that he wanted to cry. And with the tears, confess everything.

Neither of them spoke, words were obsolete to them right now as they looked at each other. And only when the room had finally filled of people, did they look away.

Now, when Edward turned to look towards the casket, nearby where Charles had reached the podium, he didn't feel that clench of anger, nausea, and bitterness that he had felt before. Nor that pang of guilt. Instead, he realized he felt nothing, and being very discreet about it, shifted closer to Roy as Charles spoke.

Charles looked over at Roy, and nodded to him. "Per family wishes, eulogies have been cancelled." He began, and was not surprised to hear no objections. "Those that wish to say a final goodbye of any sort, may come up and say them privately." And he looked over at Edward briefly, before looking away. "Those that do not, are welcome to enjoy the gunshots outside before the casket is dropped into a grave and sip on some complementary punch. We're working on a low budget when it comes to burying certain individuals."

"Let's go outside." Roy said quietly to Edward.

However Edward shook his head as he stood. As everyone filed out the doors, clearly not wanting to say anything to Raymond, Edward watched them all go. He then looked back to the casket, and stepped towards it.

Roy frowned, and followed while reassuring Charles and Thomas that he'd handle Edward. The two men left looking rather uncertain, and Roy too felt unsure of what was going on as he reached Edward's side. He looked over at the blond who was staring distantly into the opened casket. There, the white sunken face of his double lay on a silk pillow.

Edward let out a shaky sigh, and reached up for the lid. "It's finally over." And he snapped the lid down shut.

Roy looked over at him. "Look at me." And when Edward did at last, he could have breathed a sigh of relief. Edward's eyes weren't pained as they looked at him, not as they had been the past days. And after having looked at Raymond just seconds ago, Roy knew that although he hadn't seen the gradual change, it was happening.

"Thank you." Edward told him quietly, hand still resting on the lid.

Roy nodded, and touched Edward's arm lightly. "I promised I'd take care of you today. Now let's go join everyone else before they think you decided to vandalize the casket."

"You won't help me do that?" Edward asked him in mock shock.

"Not today, Fullmetal."

And Roy led him out where they watched silently as the casket was carted out and lowered into the grave where it would remain. The gathering was silent, aside from the gunshots and the sloshing of more punch into cups. And as soon as it was proper, Roy led Edward away.

No one tried to stop them.

Instead Charles looked over at Thomas with a sad smile. "You know, in a way it's good Roy's here for him right now. I get the feeling their friendship's really strong."

Thomas nodded, and sighed. "He's the next best since Alphonse is in Canada. I don't think we need to worry about Edward this time. He shouldn't run off again."

"Well, if he does, I won't be surprised." Charles muttered. "I wouldn't blame him either if he did leave."

Back in the car, Roy took the wheel again. And he drove them home with a few directions from Edward here and there. The ride back though seemed less tense. Roy couldn't help but think that perhaps this might have been good for Edward, as cruel as it sounded. Maybe it had given Edward a sense of closure that Roy never could have.

When they reached the chateau, Roy went to make them a snack since he figured Edward would be hungry. While he felt unsure about leaving Edward alone for too long, he accepted Edward's promise that he wasn't going to go do anything stupid.

Edward meanwhile paced across the foyer, back and forth from the staircase to the front door. Until at last he let himself out the front door. As it closed behind him, he lost no time in running around the front of the house and to the backyard. He easily ducked the electric fence and ran all the way towards the terrace where he collapsed onto the stone steps breathing hard, though not from the run.

Leaning against a support pillar for the banister, he drew in shaky breaths with closed eyes. He didn't open his eyes again until he felt a furry muzzle bump his shoulder. Opening his eyes he looked up at Nitro in an almost desperate way before grabbing onto the llama's head and hugging it to him fiercely.

Nitro didn't pull away, he merely stood there. It was why he'd come over, after all. He could sense that his human needed to be comforted. So he stood quietly as his fur became gradually wetter as Edward cried silently.

Roy finally found Edward there, still shaking with silent sobs as he clung to his llama. He stood there for only a second, before he looked down at the snack he'd made for Edward, and quietly tip-toed back inside to leave Edward with Nitro. It was what Edward needed right now.

He couldn't blame Edward for finally crying. He couldn't fully imagine yet just all the pain Edward had been through because of Raymond. And now it was all finally at a close as those last shovelfuls of dirt had been packed down onto the fresh grave. All that were left, were the memories. Roy could deal with those… but right now, Edward needed to cry.

And Roy knew better than to feel jealous that it was Nitro who Edward was clinging to right now.

So he went back inside and ate his own food, saving Edward's for when he was ready to come back inside. When he'd finished he went upstairs to the library, and left the doors open. Walking over to the piano, he sat down thoughtfully, and gazed at the ivory and black keys for a moment.

And then he began to play.

It was the music that eventually drew Edward back inside, the hauntingly beautiful melodies that comforted him. Wiping at his eyes, he knew that he probably looked terrible. But it didn't entirely register with him as he made his way up the staircase, and slowly into the library.

Watching Roy the entire time, Edward walked over to sit silently on the couch, his eyes never straying from Roy. He knew that his presence had been spotted, for the music grew quieter. More personal. And he settled in to listen with a small smile.

Roy played a while longer, before he drew his hands away slowly and turned to Edward. "You really love it, don't you." He noted with a smile.

Edward nodded, feeling almost shy for some reason. And he didn't care to get annoyed about it just now. "Yes. It's beautiful."

"Yes," Roy agreed, his eyes never leaving those golden ones, still bloodshot from crying, "beautiful."

Edward's stomach did a flip and he fought not to blush. He wasn't sure he was succeeding.

Roy studied him for a moment, before taking another chance. "Would you like me to write a song for you?"

"Me?" Edward's eyes widened a bit, even as he definitely lost the battle against not blushing.

Roy nodded, still smiling. "I think I already know the perfect thing though." He said and turned back to the piano. "I'll use only the best notes." He said as he glanced back at Edward once before looking towards the keys and beginning to play.

To Edward, it felt as if his heart was somehow stuck in the region of his throat. And he was suddenly glad he'd cried himself dry, else he was sure he would have begun again. Closing his eyes, he let himself sink into the music as it floated around him peacefully.

Roy looked over once to see Edward looking far more at peace than he had been all day, and smiled as he looked away. Yes, it would all turn out okay. Somehow, between the music, a crazy llama, and love, it would be beautiful again.


	17. Chapter 17

Finally! Bloody site. Does anyone even remember how they reviewed? I bet that's not what everyone wants to read anyway just yet. I'll take care of that tomorrow. So today, please read and hopefully enjoy after the long wait both my laptop, dad, and the site made you go through.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Roy could admit he hadn't slept well that night as he turned over for what seemed the five hundredth time since the clock had struck five a.m. His attempts for sleep had been plagued by concern about Edward. When they'd at last turned in last night, Edward had been quiet. He knew that it was to be expected, and anyone else he probably wouldn't have been concerned. But he knew Edward. He knew how the man handled anything related to pain.

And the old wounds had been reopened yesterday, seeing Raymond again. Even in death. Some betrayals just ran too deep to be ignored when faced with the cause again.

Which meant Roy had his work cut out for him. But that was for another time. Right now he was concerned for Edward's immediate mental health. Yesterday had calmed him down some, but Roy still worried. He worried that Edward would react as Roy had always known him too. Either lash out, or run. And sometimes both at the same time.

Both instances, and even more so, both together, were things to be ready for. Though Roy doubted Edward would run. He was more expectant that Edward would lash out in some way. And he was pitying whoever Edward chose to strike at, and worried for himself, because he would be the one to drag Edward away and calm him down. Not always the safest of tasks.

Accepting the fact that he'd be getting no more sleep, even if he tried, Roy got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower, and five minutes spent digging through his closet later, Roy emerged out of his room. He stopped at the door to Ed's room and knocked, but received no answer. Frowning, he peeked inside to see that the room was still dark, and quite empty of its occupant.

It was when he reached the kitchen that he began to seriously worry. The icy, tense feeling that seized over him made him shiver. Normally, he wouldn't have worried any other time that he saw those empty bottles of various liquors on the counters. But any other time Edward hadn't been in this mental state. Not having access to alcohol at least.

"Shit Ed." Roy swore softly as he looked around.

He left the mess of bottles where it was on the counters as he whirled around to run as quickly as he could towards the garage. Silently, he was praying that Edward hadn't gone out in the car. Bursting through the door, barely getting it unlocked before he would have crashed through it, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The car was still there, gleaming innocently in the faint pre-dawn light.

But Roy's relief was short lived. He still had no idea where Ed was. And he hurried back inside the chateau. Feeling almost frantic, he searched every room in the entire place, right down to Edward's office. Yet the scouring of the home yielded no results. No Edward.

There was only one other place he could look, and he dreaded the idea.

But he dreaded something bad happening to Ed more.

So Roy emerged out onto the terrace, looking around with a frantic need to find the one he loved. He couldn't see Edward at all, and so his gaze turned to the ground. He fairly ran down the steps and out onto the thick dewy grass as he scanned for recent footprints.

When he found them, he spared no breath for being relieved. It was what he saw where Edward's footprints had vanished that made him suddenly very nervous.

Edward had gotten on one of the horses.

"Damn." Roy whispered. "What the hell are you doing, Ed?"

As far off as he looked from where he was, Edward had clearly headed straight. Straight towards the far end of the property. At least he hadn't headed for the gate that led to the road. But Roy was far beyond worried now. He was downright frightened.

Either Ed or the horse was in control, and Roy knew neither could be a good thing. Horses were… he was scared of horses, who was he kidding? So of course this scared him. And knowing what he had to do scared him even more.

Gulping, Roy paled several shades of white and turned slightly green as he looked towards the herd of horses still standing sleepily under one large rowan tree. It took several false starts, but Roy slowly began to walk towards them. His fear for Edward's safety and love for the man were overriding his aversion. Just enough to get him walking towards what he needed. Though he wished it were different. He wished Edward were somewhere in the house where Roy could hold him tightly and have it be forgotten during the massive hangover Ed was sure to have.

Several of the horses immediately fled at the scent of the stranger, but more stayed.

Roy knew he was shaking, but he didn't care. "I'm gonna kill you, Ed." He whispered as he froze where he was. One of the horses was walking towards him. He stood his ground, though he wished he could turn and run for it.

He nearly freaked when the horse nibbled on his shirt sleeve, but he breathed out a shaky breath and raised his other hand to shove those teeth away from him. It took him a moment, but he recognized this horse. It was the same one Ed had taken him out on. Jasper, wasn't it?

"Don't eat me." Roy said as he stepped around warily to the animal's side. "Or step on me."

Jasper stayed patiently still as the nervous human tried several times unsuccessfully to scramble on. Finally, tiring of being elbowed and kneed but not willing to misbehave, Jasper lowered himself down carefully onto his forelegs.

Roy blinked, and then glared. "Why didn't you do that earlier?" He groused, momentarily forgetting his fear. However it soon returned as Jasper got back up once Roy had sat down carefully. "How do I get you to go left?" Roy wondered aloud as he wound his hands in the thick mane.

He leaned forward a bit as he thought about it, and quickly sat back as the horse started forward.

Jasper stopped walking.

It took Roy a moment, before he nervously smirked. "I think I got it." And he leaned forward a bit again, and shifted his weight to the left.

Jasper plodded off calmly, and turned to the left to keep the human balanced. And his former owners had thought he was recalcitrant. He knew what to do, provided the incentive was there.

Roy clung on tightly, swearing under his breath as he picked up the hoof prints of the horse Ed had rode off on. "Damn you, Ed. If the horse didn't kill you, I'm going to."

And Roy followed the tracks at a slow and placid walk courtesy of one patient Jasper who tried not to mind the nervousness seeping off in waves from his rider. Though Roy was becoming a bit more relaxed, just not much. Roy didn't even notice when he got Jasper to go into a jog to cover the ground faster. He was too busy trying to follow the tracks and spot Edward.

Dawn was an hour past when Roy finally spotted another horse ahead.

His heart somewhere in the region of his throat he didn't even comprehend that Jasper had taken off at a gallop. Or that he himself had urged the horse into it. As they came upon the other horse, Roy ignored the animal as it snorted and shied away from him. Instead he was leaping off of Jasper and rushing across the grass to fall to his knees beside Edward.

Frantically Roy turned Ed's head towards him, brushing the grass from the side of Edward's face. His breathing was far from steady in his panic as he felt for a pulse. He nearly cried from relief, sagging down as he found one. Quickly he checked Edward over as best as he could out here, finding no signs to show that Edward had fallen or been trampled.

"You little idiot." Roy whispered as he held onto one of Edward's hands tightly. "Why didn't you come to me? You scared me half to death."

As best as he could assume, Edward had gotten off and sat down out here to drink some more. Roy saw the wine bottle lying on its side in the grass. He looked away from it and to the deeply sleeping blonde. With a ragged sigh as the adrenaline left him, Roy shook his head wearily. He never wanted to be that frightened again. The thought of something bad happening to Edward tore him up inside.

Leaning forward he rested his forehead against Edward's. "You're so troublesome to love." He sighed, eyes closing. "I can't help it though. I promise it'll be okay, don't give up on me." His eyes cracked open in the time it took him to catch Ed's cold lips in a lingering kiss, and then they were closed again.

It was a struggle to pull away. And Roy knew he had to, even though he'd waited far longer than he could remember to taste and feel Edward's lips against his own. He couldn't exactly have Edward wake up to that. That, and Roy wanted their true first kiss to happen when Edward was conscious.

And didn't taste of a bartending concoction that would get you wasted in three seconds.

Even if being drunk on Edward wasn't exactly something that sounded like a bad thing. It was the principle of the matter.

So Roy drew away and worked on picking Ed up into his arms. It was slow and difficult going. Not because Edward was heavy, but because he was still weakened from the illness that had banished both weight and muscle from his own body. He managed to get Edward into his arms, and balanced out before he worked on the difficult task of getting Ed up onto Jasper.

The other horse had taken off somewhere.

Roy silently thanked the horse, and decided that maybe this one in particular was bearable, just a bit, when the gelding went down on his knees again. With one last heave Roy managed to get Ed sitting sideways on the horse. He sat astride behind the unconscious blonde just in time before Jasper rose up again. Wrapping one arm tightly around Ed so that the other man was leaning up against him, his other hand found a secure hold in the horse's mane.

It was almost two hours before Roy got Edward back to the chateau as he hadn't felt comfortable going faster than a walk with his unstable armful. And another twenty minutes or so before Roy was able to get Ed up to his room. He had no clue how he'd managed it, but he had. He knew he didn't have much of a choice. Taking care of Edward was his biggest concern. His own short fallings at this time had no place.

When at last he had Ed settled under his blankets, Roy sank down onto the edge of the bed with a tired sigh. This was not what he'd been expecting to do his first time working out of any sort. But in a way, he'd rather enjoyed it. Looking over, he smiled tiredly and shook his head. Only Ed would have slept through all of that. He just hoped that Ed would be waking up soon.

After a time of just sitting there and gazing melancholically at the blonde as he continued to sleep on, Roy rose and left the room. He figured that Edward would want something for the hangover he was sure to have. And a vicious one at that, considering how many empty bottles of various liquors were on the kitchen counters.

So he went down to the kitchen, and cleared away all the evidence of Edward's binge drinking before he began to mix together something else for the little terrorist to drink. It was foaming nicely when he was done, and the proper shade of vile green, but it only looked like a concoction a crazy alchemist would mix up while lightning flashed in the background. Roy knew it to actually be quite good, and most importantly, effective.

He happened to glance out one of the windows as he turned around to head back upstairs, and he paused. Outside, he could see Nitro and Jasper both hanging out exactly where Roy had left the horse when they'd returned back to the chateau. He bit his lip undecidedly for a moment, and then set the drink down. Walking over to where Edward kept the carrots -horses liked carrots, right?- he pulled one out.

It was with a hesitant hope that he wouldn't be trampled that Roy walked out onto the terrace. Nitro immediately gamboled over to him as he took the steps down to the lawn one by one. Roy had to admit, he felt oddly safer with Nitro there. Even if Nitro wasn't exactly tiny. He had to fend the little sneak away from the carrot though with scolding whacks. Finally the llama got the hint and bounded away to sulk, leaving Roy with the horse. Alone.

With a deep breath to brace himself, Roy held out the carrot at arm's length. Figuring it was safest. His heart was pounding hard as the animal stepped forward and delicately snatched the carrot away. Roy watched with a shaky feeling of relief, and felt a bit amused as he watched orange carrot juice dribble down the horse's chin. Before he knew it, he was suddenly being subjected to curious sniffs as Jasper tried to search out more treats.

"I have no more." Roy fairly squeaked and shoved the horse's questing nose away. He stayed still though as the horse sniffed at the offending hand, and when Jasper stepped closer to nudge his shoulder with a low whicker he felt a strange flare of gratitude. Nervously he reached up and patted the horse's neck. "Thank you for helping me."

Roy eventually returned inside, having sent the horse away. He was breathing sighs of relief that he was unharmed, while trying not to acknowledge that maybe Jasper at least wasn't so bad. Even if he was big. But he was beginning to understand why Ed surrounded himself with all these animals.

He fetched Edward's drink, and headed up to the blonde's room with it. When he entered the room again he saw that Ed was still fast asleep. And snoring. Roy rolled his eyes. Walking over to the bedside table he set the still foaming green drink on it before retreating to settle down onto the cushions lining the bay window that overlooked a portion of the backyard. Propping himself up against one diagonal cold pane he let himself space out gazing into the sky.

Edward wasn't sure which was worse when he woke up. The hangover that was splitting his head into a million jagged pieces, or the shame and embarrassment he felt upon realizing where he was. And how he must have gotten here. It was all of the above that caused him to curl into a protective ball, clutching at his head while he hissed in pain.

Roy looked over at the rustling noises, and stood stiffly. He was quite sure he'd felt every vertebrae down his back pop from the sudden movement after having sat for so long against the cold glass. "Ed?" He asked softly as he went 'round the bed.

Ed groaned. Roy was here still? This was just perfect. This was the last way he'd ever want Roy to see him. Drunk, passed out, and now hung over. And knowing Roy had gotten him back to bed. Could he be anymore damn pathetic? "Sorry." He managed to whisper, otherwise not moving.

Roy's face softened, and he sat gently on the edge of the bed to try not to jolt its occupant any more than was necessary. Reaching over he took hold of one of Ed's wrists and gently pried the man's hand away from where it was clutching at his head. "You can't drink like that." He said and reached for the glass of green elixir with his other hand. "Can you sit up?"

Edward complied, feeling very much guilty, and more than a bit ashamed. Even though it hurt to move, he sat, not once complaining beyond a whimper here and there.

Roy let go of Edward's wrist, and let that hand instead cup the back of the blonde head gently. "Here, drink." He coaxed gently, tipping the glass slightly against Ed's lips.

"I don't want to drink anything else." Edward muttered darkly.

Roy rolled his eyes. "This'll help put you right again. Now open your mouth, or I'll shock it open and still pour it down."

The threat worked, and Roy held the glass steady, as well as Ed's head, as he tipped the liquid slowly into Ed's mouth. Once every drop had been swallowed he took the glass away and set it aside.

"Feeling better?" Roy asked as he rested his hands on the bedspread.

Edward looked anywhere but at Roy. "The pain's going away." He said quietly, and was horrified to find he wanted to cry. "I'm sorry."

Roy frowned a bit, "sorry? You have, well, besides scaring the shit out of me, you have nothing to be sorry about. And I'll live. I'm just glad you were okay."

"I never meant to let it get this out of hand." Ed shook his head, wincing as a slight twinge of pain returned at the movement. But overall he was beginning to feel normal and coherent again. "The last thing I remember is going outside."

Roy nodded, and reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind Ed's ear. "Yes, you were outside. At first I'd feared you'd taken the car out."

"I was stupid, but I'm not that stupid." Edward replied glumly.

"You did act like an idiot doing what you did." Roy agreed with a calm nod. "I wish you'd have come to me. But I'm glad you're okay. Now," he announced with a bracing sort of smile, "I'm going to make us something to eat. I exerted a lot of energy bringing you back here, and I don't exactly have much to spare yet. And you're just getting toast or something."

Edward frowned, and reached out to snag Roy's forearm, keeping him there when the man made to get up. "Bringing me back?" He repeated slowly, "where was I?"

Roy settled back down again, noticing that Ed was finally meeting his eyes again. "You'd taken a little ride on one of the horses. You're lucky I didn't have to drag you back, because it was difficult enough picking you up to get you onto the horse. I don't exactly have much strength again yet."

"What?" Ed was positively shocked. He'd done _what_ while drunk?!

"I figure you either got off or fell off." Roy continued.

Edward groaned, feeling worse each second. "I'm supposed to be more responsible than this."

"Yes." Roy agreed, "but I find it difficult to fault you for it. Sure, there were lapses in judgment, but I can overlook them seeing as how you're safe. That's all that matters to me." And he reached out to brush his fingers against Ed's cheek. "I can't lose you, Ed. Not again."

Edward blushed as he looked away. "It was hard for me to lose you too." He replied quietly, trying to shove his heart back out of his throat and into his chest where it belonged.

Roy smiled a bit sadly, and let his hand fall down to take hold of Ed's cool automail one. "I'm not going anywhere. So don't leave me again."

Ed shook his head, all the while knowing painfully that it wasn't himself he was worried about leaving. It was Roy. And then he blinked as something about what Roy had said dawned on him fully. "How exactly did you get me back here?"

"Carried you when I had to." Roy answered, not releasing Edward's hand. "But I… I had to… take one of the horses. To find you. I was worried you were hurt and I wouldn't get there in time and that would have-" He stopped at the look on Edward's face. "What?"

"You rode on a horse?" Edward repeated with wide eyes. "To find me? You rode on a horse?"

Roy nodded with an awkward smile. "I was really worried about you. I was scared the whole time about the thing killing me, but it was worth it to find you and get you back."

Edward stared at Roy wondrously. The man was terrified of large animals, and he'd willingly gotten on one just to find _him_?

"And I gave him a carrot." Roy admitted feeling rather silly about it. But he was truly grateful to the animal for getting him around safely.

"A…" Edward suddenly burst out into small happy laughs he tried to choke back. "You…"

Roy smiled and shook his head as Edward tried to come to terms to the nature of his rescue. "There, that's much more like it. You should laugh more, it's a good look on you." He said, and stood up now. "I'm going to go make me some food, and you some toast. Try to behave while I'm gone."

Edward was left to stare after Roy, feeling the turmoil roil again inside of him. He was certain now of Roy's feelings for him. That they were the same as his own. How could he be wrong after everything Roy had said and done for him? How could he be wrong when he could see it in the way Roy looked at him? But Ed refused to act, not yet. He couldn't with things still being unsaid. And he knew now that he needed to say them. Sooner, rather than later. He needed to know what Roy would say to the truth, before he got too attached to the idea of what could be between them.

Biting his lip uncertainly, Edward finally pushed off the covers and went to snag the phone from the hallway and bring it back to his room. He plugged the cord in and waited for a dial tone before dialing the hotel that Alphonse was staying at. All the while hoping that his brother was in.

Roy was downstairs in the kitchen when he heard the knock at the door. He'd thought that the gates had been locked, but perhaps not. Either that or Nitro hadn't yet found whoever jumped the fence. So he made his way out of the kitchen and into the foyer. He unlocked and opened the door to a postal worker. A quick glance past the man showed the gate wasn't locked, but Nitro was coming into view quite rapidly.

"Excuse me, sir."

Roy looked back at the man. "Better be quick about what you need and run for it. I don't know the word to keep that llama from biting your ass."

The postal worker paled, he'd heard rumors of the llama Mister Elric owned. "This was supposed to be delivered to Mister Elric at the funeral yesterday, but he left right away." He said, holding out a rather battered looking envelope.

Roy frowned, and took it from him. "Who's it from?" The very nature of where and when it was supposed to have been delivered made Roy reasonably cautious.

"I've not looked, sir." The man replied nervously. More because of the llama currently waiting for him on the driveway, than of anything to do with his delivery.

Roy saw that the only words on the envelope, were those of Ed's name. "Well, thank you. Best run for it, he won't follow you past the gates."

And so Roy leaned in the doorway and watched as the postal worker ran down the path, bag flapping heavily against one side, and shrieking to the heavens as Nitro pursued him delightedly. Though Roy did cringe whenever Nitro landed a particularly good bite. Once the excitement was over, however, Roy closed and locked the door.

Looking around, he made sure Edward wasn't around before heading back to the kitchen. As he went he slit the envelope open. He was sure that Edward would forgive him for opening the special delivery mail. And to be quite honest, Roy was worried about the contents.

Roy checked on the cooking sausages before pulling several sheets of worn looking paper that had been stapled together to read like a book. The envelope he set aside, the papers he kept. The writing on them was forebodingly familiar looking. And when he quickly skipped ahead to the last stapled page to see the signature, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Shit." Roy whispered, and flipped back to the first page. He stared down at the penned words, seeing, but not reading them. This was addressed to Edward, but Roy was withdrawing from the idea of actually giving it to him.

So he decided to do the only thing he reasonably could do.

Roy folded the letter back up, and returned it to the envelope it had come in. An envelope which found a temporary home in his pocket, well out of sight.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Roy set the food out onto the table before making his way back to Edward's room. He'd have breakfast, and then find some way to find time to read what was in that letter. Depending on what it was, Edward would be given the envelope as if it had never been opened. Or Roy would never let him see it, much less know it existed. But he needed to know. He needed to know what could possibly have needed saying now of all times.


	18. Chapter 18

ferret: Oh, that wasn't the kissing you meant? XD

B.D.: I love brownie points. Actually I just love brownies.

Ohki: You have the Jedi skills.

Paon: Sometimes Roy has good ideas. They're just rare.

Angyl: Oh I've been everywhere, but I'm glad to be back.

GreedxEd: Yes, no hitting Roy yet.

Night-Childe: I see you found out why I was gone, so I won't explain. But I am doing better day by day. This will probably be another chapter you want more of, but we'll see.

Embers: Now now?

Cheru-chan: Me? A tease? Now where would anyone get that idea.... XD

Addict: All good things shall come... very soon.

E: Sometimes you just need a darn drink.

Gaara: Cookies? Yay! I'm so hungry!

Lamia: Now to bestow a thankful kiss upon the knight who rescued him...

Lizche: Swoon away.

Lost: ...words? XD -flee-

Shawn: Horrible little demon? XD I hope you start to love me again.

* * *

Yeah... I totally spaced out yesterday.

Anywho... let's see what everyone thinks of this.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Roy entered Ed's room just as the blonde was hanging up the phone looking somewhat disappointed. He didn't say anything, but the question was still in his eyes as he walked over to sit on the edge of Edward's bed beside him.

Edward accepted his plate of toast, knowing it was probably the only thing he could reasonably keep down right now. "Al wasn't in."

"Ah." Roy nodded in understanding. "Do you miss him?"

"Sometimes, but I was hoping he'd tell me something inspirational." Edward muttered and picked up a slice of toast. "Or just listen to me whine about how I messed up."

Roy shook his head a bit as he picked up his fork. "You're allowed to not be perfect, you know. You can't be perfect in everything. So don't worry about it. All we can do is move on from here."

Ed looked up at him as he chewed his bite of toast, smiling faintly. Roy was right. All they could do was to move on. And while moving on meant the unknown, and eventually a place that Edward was scared to go, it was a hell of a lot better than what was in the past. Looking down, his eyes grew serious, he knew it would happen soon. Sooner than he had wanted. At the rate things were going it was inevitable that this was a change that was coming to his plans whether he wanted it or not. And all he could do was hope for the best.

But until then, he was content to just have Roy with him.

In an effort to try and make up for what time had been lost, and might still be lost, Edward spent the days leading up until Sunday debriefing Roy on everything pertinent the man might need to know to get by in this world. The basics from which he could build his own foundation, just in case he did what Edward dreaded.

Both of them should have known that things were about to change drastically when the clouds rolled in on Sunday after nearly a week of rare sunshine.

It was the day of the coming out party of the Hawthorne's daughter, and while no guests would be expected to arrive until nearly seven in the evening, it was the perfect excuse for the two of them to take a short break. After all, Ed had been pushing Roy to learn whatever he could, and Roy had responded agreeably, learning faster than Ed had expected.

So to take full use of the day off, Ed went out to spend some time with his horses, while Roy watched from the terrace.

As Edward went off to mingle with his animals, Roy sat in the shadows of the terrace awning. When Nitro came over to join him, he barely even flinched as the large llama lay down next to him with a lengthy sigh. Looking over at the llama he smiled. "Are you keeping an eye on me, or keeping me company?" He asked, receiving only a yawn in response.

Roy smiled, and patted the llama's furry shoulder before looking over to where Ed was now checking over the pregnant mare whose belly even at this distance looked swelled as tight as a drum. Now was his chance, while Ed was distracted.

He reached into a pocket, pulling from it the battered envelope he'd received in the mail on Wednesday. Well, not so much he had received as snatched for quarantine. But they were all the same to him as he pulled the papers free from the envelope which was set aside in quick reach should Ed come back over. He felt only a bit guilty as he checked to see that Edward was still preoccupied, before unfolding the stapled letter and beginning to read.

_Edward,_

_Don't burn this yet._

_It happened only days before we finished our work together. You see it as a betrayal, I know you do. Because I know you. How could I not? But even as I lie here in this inadequate cell, I wouldn't have changed what I did. I made a choice, a choice to protect you. And believe me, there was no other way. A life in prison, knowing the pain of you thinking I betrayed you, knowing that I lost any chance to be close to the only one who mattered to me in this insane circle we chose to live in. The only one for whom I would have done what I did. There was no other way to keep you safe._

_So I had to hurt you._

_And I swear, that I am forever sorry._

_I don't expect you to forgive me, I'm not sure that even I believe I deserve forgiveness. But I hope you'll listen to what I need to say. Please, one last time, please hear what I have to say to you._

_It was Wednesday night, two days before we were to finish. Three before we were to present our research. The last day I was to ever see the light of freedom again. I was going back to the consulate when I was approached by who is really to blame._

Roy glanced around to be sure he was still alone aside from a dozing Nitro, and turned the page.

"_Can I help you?" Raymond tried to sound like he wasn't exhausted and just about ready to mace whoever hindered him on his way to getting sleep, but he was failing. After spending all day with Edward surrounded by reports, books, mold, more reports, and missives in the stuffy library he just wanted to go back to his bed and sleep._

_The man who had approached him was wide in the shoulders, wearing an outdated trench coat, and smoking a thick cigar from under the downturned brim of a bowler hat. "Mister Raymond Muravyov, I presume?" _

"_Depends on who's asking for him." Raymond answered easily. _

_A smirk was shadowed by the dim glow of cigar light. "That's nothing you need to be concerned about."_

_Raymond rolled his eyes. "Look, get lost before I have the secret police called for harassing a foreign official while smoking that Cuban crap." And he pointedly stepped around the man to continue on his way._

"_I wouldn't-" The man reached out to grab Raymond's arm in order to turn him back around._

_But Raymond was ready for such an occurrence, and his handgun slid into his free hand easily, and he leveled it at the man while releasing the safety. "I wouldn't either." He said icily, black eyes narrowing. "I grew up in Russia, asshole, so I'd pick a different target if I were you." And he wrenched his arm free._

"_Oh I don't think so. You're exactly who we want. That is unless… never mind. The fact is, you're going to play ball one way or the other, ambassador. Now where I wonder, where will you let the penalties fall?"_

_What? Raymond's brow furrowed in confusion. He was getting the uneasy feeling that this man was neither drunk nor psychotic, and that was worrying. He only knew one other type who might approach him… and that boded well for no one. "Explain yourself." His gun did not even waver from where it was pointed at the man's head._

_The man's hands raised in a gesture of not planning to do Raymond any harm… yet. And then one hand plucked the cigar from his mouth while he blew a thick smoke ring. "We want what we want, and we'll get what we want. So listen closely, Mister Muravyov, I'm not going to be repeating myself."_

_Raymond didn't even blink, and the finger on the trigger remained steady._

"_Whether you kill me or not, things cannot be altered. This meeting has set into motion the final event, and the end of this war." He took a short drag on the cigar. "The confidential project that you and Mister Elric have been working on now belongs to the KGB. We will be collecting the final result from you upon its completion. You will bring it to the abandoned airfield west of London. Our people are monitoring the area."_

_Raymond's eyes glittered dangerously. "How do you know about that?"_

"_Our sources are none of your concern." The man retorted. "You will do this, and let no one know what you are doing. We will be watching you… and if we even suspect you're trying to send out a pathetic SOS, we'll kill him."_

"_You mean me." Raymond glared, his finger clenching around the trigger._

"_You? Whoever said anything about killing you?" The light of the cigar showed the smirk turning threatening. "We'll kill Edward Elric."_

_Raymond's eyes widened before his free hand clenched into an angry fist. "You dare touch him and-!"_

"_You will cooperate or you'll be the one killing him!" The man interrupted impatiently. "And I mean that quite literally." He continued in an icy whisper. "You will bring us the final results, you will tell no one what is going on, you will act normal, or so help us we will take Mister Elric and torture him right before we make you put a bullet through his head. You've made it no secret, Mister Muravyov, that you two are close. You will do this, or you will kill him, and then be killed yourself. Running away, suicide, it won't save him. Only your cooperation will."_

Roy turned the page again, forgetting this time to check on where Edward was, before he continued reading.

_I walked back to the consulate that night with paranoia surrounding me. The sleepless night showed the truth of what the man had told to me, right before I put a bullet in his head. I was under surveillance. Now that I looked for it, I could find the evidence. And I knew I could not do anything for it. Perhaps fear blinded me to the option of taking us both to a safe place far from the reach of the KGB. I was scared that we would be found before we could flee, and I realized that I didn't care about my own safety. _

_I didn't care that I was giving up my freedom. For I knew already how it would end for me. No matter what, I gave up my freedom, and my life that night._

_I only cared that by doing this, you would be spared._

_Call me a martyr, a fool, but whatever I am, I only did it so that you could keep living. _

_The next few days were agony for me. Trying to act as if nothing had changed. Trying to act as if I wasn't looking over my shoulder constantly, expecting to see the black gleam of a gun barrel pointed at us. Each minute seemed like an hour to me, and I found myself soaking in everything. Everything that until then I had missed noticing. About the world, about you. And perhaps that is one of my biggest regrets. _

_And then Friday came. It came too soon. We had finished, and you went away with half of the material, and I was left with the remainder. I never went back to the consulate that night. Instead I turned thief, and even though it was the sickest feeling I'd ever known, I stole from you the one thing I'd never wanted to. In the process I set fire to every bridge I might have had to you._

Roy looked up this time, to see that Edward was riding around on one of his horses seemingly completely carefree. He on the other hand, was slowly starting to realize the one thing that had been nagging at him. It wasn't so much that he was believing Raymond's account right now, but he was starting to see some pieces fall into place in a puzzle he'd been trying to complete for some time.

_Raymond drove up to the abandoned airfield, the sinking feeling in his stomach having sunk into a pit that made him feel nauseous. He was glad he hadn't been able to eat much since Wednesday night. He tried not to look at the evidence of his crime sitting there like a cackling demon in the passenger's seat. But it caught the corner of his eye, hitting him like a sledgehammer._

_The tires of the car crunched across the gravel and weeds and then onto the cracked cement of the runway. It was there that he shut off the engine, and took a deep breath. This was it… the defining moment of his life… he'd never thought it would turn out this way. But in the world of choosing right or wrong, this was the most correct choice he knew. _

_God save him._

_He grabbed the leather satchel of the final results of his and Ed's hard and tedious work and got out of the car. Walking forward towards the group of men that had appeared seemingly out of the night, he held up the bag before them. "Your word that Edward will not be harmed."_

"_You have it. The order has already gone out." One of the men said, and held out his hand. "The bag, if you please."_

_Raymond breathed a silent sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, Ed." He whispered, and tossed the bag forward. _

_As several of them made a lunge for it, Raymond grabbed the handgun from his waistband and fired. Fired until only he remained standing, if not wounded from several bullets. Wincing in pain he put his gun away, and grabbed up the bag. _

_Resolutely he turned away from the bloodbath, and went back to his still running car. Tossing the bag inside he then retreated back a safe distance. Pulling out his gun one last time, he fired his last bullets until he hit the spot he'd been aiming for. _

_The gas tank._

_The explosion of the car was deafening, and it knocked him back several yards. The flames seared the cement, and lit up the night sky like a bonfire. _

_Raymond managed to cough the wind back into his lungs as he staggered back to his feet. Shaking the dizziness from his head he ran towards the men he had shot. Quickly he rearranged them so that it would appear they'd gotten into a fight amongst themselves. This should spare both he and Ed from any retribution the organization might try to seek. _

_Looking back towards London, Raymond felt a lonely pang of sadness and purpose. He could never go back there… not as a free man. His life as he knew it was over. There was no way he'd ever be found innocent. He'd killed everyone who might have ever been witness to the truth. "I'm sorry." He whispered quietly, before turning to hurry away into the night, heading north._

Roy flipped to the last page, and looked around to see where Ed was. The blonde was still out with the freakishly tall animals. And it was a good thing too. He looked back down to continue.

_You know what happened afterward. To the very moment I was sent to this hell of a prison, which is more than I deserve. I'd always wished I could tell you the truth. Always wished I could erase the pain from your eyes. But I realized a lot during my trial, and during the time I sit here now._

_I wasn't who you really saw when you looked at me, was I. I'd always hoped that maybe it was me you saw… that maybe it was just my imagination. But I know better now. You weren't looking at me, were you. I only regret that it wasn't I who you cared for so much. But regardless, I cared for you dearly. I always will. You were everything I ever wanted… but it wasn't us who were supposed to be together. I wish I knew who it is that you have your eyes set on. I'd only tell him to treat you better than I did, and wish the both of you all the luck in this forsaken world._

_I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this now. It seems rather cowardly, doesn't it? That I'd write a letter that was only to be sent to you whenever I died? But the truth is that I couldn't tell you until I was dead. To make sure there was no way you could be compromised again. And because perhaps maybe I'm afraid to know the truth of what you truly saw when you looked at me, what you felt. And while I debated against ever writing this, the truth deserves to be known. Or at the very least told._

_If you've read this far, I can only say thank you. Whether or not you believe even a bit of what I wrote. Just know that I am truly very sorry, and that I always loved you._

_Raymond_

Roy's lower lip was between his teeth as he continued to look at the signature there on the paper. It was difficult to place exactly what he felt right then. All he knew as he stood up, putting the letter back into the envelope, was that he needed some time to think over what he'd read. He hid the envelope back into his pocket, and shooed Nitro out of the way as the llama had gotten up with him and seemed to be wanting attention. But Roy just wanted to go back inside for a while to have some time to himself.

"Roy? You look… is everything okay?"

Roy looked over his shoulder to see Edward walking up the terrace steps after having vaulted down from his horse. Was everything okay? Of course Ed would be able to notice whenever anything was the least bit off. But right now he couldn't bring himself to try and see if everything was okay. He honestly didn't know right now. He'd just been given a lot to think about.

Raising a hand, he drew in a composing breath. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I need some time alone right now. Before I do or say something that won't come out right." And looking away from the confused blonde, he went back inside.

Edward was left standing on the terrace with only Nitro for company as he tried to wrap his mind around Roy's behavior. He honestly didn't know what to think. But he had a foreboding feeling that he tried to ignore as he went back down the steps, his brow furrowed in thought. He was worried about the last thing Roy had said.

But if Roy needed time alone, Ed would give it to him.

Edward was glad though that he didn't have to go remind Roy of when they needed to leave for the party. Because as soon as he had grabbed the car keys, Roy was starting down the stairs. The drive to the Hawthorne estate was a silent one. And for the first time, it was a tense sort of silence.

Roy stared out the window as the darkened countryside rolled by. He had spent a long time thinking over what he'd read. And he'd come to some decisions about what he needed to say. One of them something he was sure that Edward would probably not like being asked. Not one bit.


	19. Chapter 19

Sure now Raymond gets love XD. Just kidding.

Anyway, I think this chapter has been long awaited. Painfully awaited by some of you. So I shall bow out early and let you all get to it.

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Chapter Nineteen

The Hawthorne estate was glowing from the light emitting from the large windows. Casting shadows onto the ground from the shrubberies that had been clipped into twisting shapes and swans. The house itself was easily three times the size of Edward's chateau, but otherwise the differences were few. Well, aside from the driveway littered with cars and people. Nitro would never have allowed such chaos.

As they got out of the car, leaving it to the valets, Edward turned to Roy. "Just follow my lead." He told him quietly, trying not to show that he was being adversely affected by whatever the strange mood Roy was suddenly in.

Roy nodded, and raked a hand back through his hair while taking a deep breath. "Lead on then."

Ed nodded, and led the way up the driveway. Uncertainty about just what was going on in Roy's head surrounding him like a blanket of unease. But he tried to school himself into some semblance of being untroubled. He made his way past the door attendants without a word, leading them through the crowd in the foyer towards where the hosts stood to greet the guests.

"Mister Elric, how good of you to come."

Falling into his own training, Edward inclined his head politely with an ever-so-slight bow. "I was pleased to receive your invitation, James." He smiled at the man, and then turned to the glittering woman at his side. "Miss Anne, you're looking well."

"Oh drop the formalities, Edward, you're with friends." She beamed and promptly hugged him despite proper decorum while her husband smiled and shook his head and Roy tried not to break Anne's neck.

Edward finally managed to pry her off. "A bit?" He asked over her shoulder to James, who nodded. He smiled, and handed Anne back over to her husband before turning to Roy. "Formalities still needed for now, may I introduce Roy Mustang, an old friend of the family."

Roy saw the signs of old grudges that were trying to be rid of by their bearers, and he didn't need help to see it. Not with what he knew now. Not that, like Raymond, he believed anyone would believe what he claimed as the truth. Everyone was trying to move on forgetting one image and learn to accept another as good. "Thank you for having us. You must be very proud for your daughter."

Anne nodded sagely. "It's time she finds herself a husband. A good man of rank who will take care of her."

"Don't be absurd. What does good have to do with it? All he needs is money and a high seat of power." James corrected.

Edward chose this time to quickly make some polite excuses from them and motion for Roy to follow him. When they were far enough away amid the crowd of other party-goers he glanced toward the man at his side. "I start feeling ill when they get into that sort of stuff."

Roy couldn't help but agree with that sentiment. "Make you glad it was never like that for us?"

"I daresay I'd have run away." Ed admitted and grabbed two champagne flutes off a tray being toted around by a waiter. He handed one to Roy. "There is only so much oppression I can stand. Working as I did was only made bearable because you didn't try to control me as you could have. Being told what type of person to marry, however, is just unacceptable to me. There are just some things where the choice should be yours alone."

"Yeah." Roy agreed, and took a sip of the champagne while he looked around the assembled guests. They all looked to be various dignitaries, or some of those high-rankers that had been mentioned. "So is this a what… aristocracy thing too?"

"An all of the above." Edward replied as he too swept his eyes over the crowd. "But I doubt anyone higher up than the lords will be in attendance. At least from the nobility. And it's easy to tell who's who, watch." And Edward glanced the crowd over before covertly nodding to a group of girls who were dressed like any other girl in attendance, but were, "they're diplomats daughters. See how the other girls are avoiding them when they walk by? Those would be from the nobility ranks."

"Rather sad sort of event, isn't it." Roy observed.

"Just a bit, yes." Ed took a long sip from his drink. "It's supposed to be happy, but all this is is another way to try and keep the classes separated without anyone thinking otherwise. Get everyone together, and they split into their own groups because that's just what they're brought up to do."

"Will these nobles avoid you?"

At that, Ed smiled. "Some have tried. I'm a foreign commoner who happens to have a good job because he's smart. The more intelligent ones know to stay on my good side because of it."

"What sort of party did you meet him at?"

Ed glanced over at Roy with a frown before looking around some more. This is what he usually did at parties, hung out and tried to stay invisible until he could leave. "Who?"

"Raymond." Roy said cautiously, knowing a blowup was likely.

Ed's fingers tightened a fraction around the delicate champagne flute. "A political one." He answered in a carefully controlled voice. "Is this why you were acting strange earlier? Thinking I might screw up again at another party?"

"Not quite." Roy answered quietly, looking at Ed in confused concern.

"This really isn't the place for this sort of talk." Edward said firmly, and returned Roy's gaze, though he was startled by how he watched him. "I've been to many parties since then, and nothing has ever happened."

Roy nodded slowly. "Okay."

"No it's not." Edward retorted, turning towards him fully. "I know you too well for that. What's had you in that strange mood? What's making you look at me like that now?"

"I-"

"Hey, Edward," Charles suddenly was there at their sides, causing them both to jump. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt but I kind of need your help with the Russian ambassador, Edward. You know my Russian is limited and it sounds like this time he might actually have a valid point."

Edward looked from him, back to Roy. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Roy nodded, waving a hand in permission. "I'll be fine."

Ed gave him one last look before walking off with Charles, feeling very much like he was a Major again, and he'd done something wrong that Roy wasn't ready to tell him about. Giving him time to stew before everything was put out in the open. It was a feeling he didn't like… in more than one way.

"Is everything okay? You seem a bit… withdrawn tonight." Charles broached as they walked.

Edward's lips drew into a thin line. "It's nothing you need be concerned about."

Meanwhile Roy shook his head as he watched Ed walked off. The blonde was right, this wasn't the place. But Roy had finished thinking, he knew what he needed to do. He'd just wanted to make sure it was the right decision before he made it. He'd had a lot to take into account after all. And now he knew he needed to know once and for all where things stood.

Finishing the rest of his champagne Roy left the empty flute on another tray that was passing. Shoving his hands in his pockets he stood aside to watch everything that was going on. Really, the parties of this world seemed no less dull than the parties back at Amestris. There was not enough hard liquor to make it interesting.

From across the room, Fane turned to Alice who stood at his side watching Roy like a thirsty vulture. "Now's your chance, and you're just going to stand here?"

Alice smirked, and shoved her wine glass into his hands. "I'm not in cahoots with you to be given pointers. Now stand back, don't drink that, and watch a woman work."

Fane leaned back against a banister and took a sip from her wine glass as he watched her sashay off across the room. The last time she'd tried to flirt her way into Roy's bed had ended so well, he was interested to see how she came out of it this time.

With a flip of her blonde hair, Alice finished her little walk up to Roy who still hadn't noticed her. So sidling up next to him she quickly linked her arm with his. "We meet again."

Roy nearly swore, and jumped just a bit. He hadn't heard the little she-devil approach, he'd been too busy concentrating on watching where he'd been able to see Edward talking very fast between Charles and a man who must have been the Russian ambassador. "Lady Alice." He said as he got a hold on himself, and disentangled his arm from hers.

"Oh please, call me Alice." She beamed up at him, and snatched his arm back. "I'm thirsty, let's go get drinks?"

Roy tried not to bristle as she touched him again, and turned to her with a tight smile. "No offense, miss, but the last time you had a drink you weren't the best company. So I daresay I'll pass this time."

Alice's brows knitted together in a frown before she quickly defaulted back to her smile. "That's no fun. Look, I'm not a repeat sort of girl, so you're safe. Now let's go."

Roy finally managed to get free from her clutches when they reached the main bar that had been set up for the party. "I'm not in the drinking sort of mood." He told the surprised female, and backed away. "And I'm not Raymond. So don't try and replace him with me, he didn't like you anyway."

With one last look at her shocked face he turned around, and nearly ran into Fane in doing so. Fixing him with a glare Roy sidestepped him. "The both of you better leave us alone." He said, his head jerking towards Alice even as he stared down the mismatched ambassador. "If you had any idea who you're dealing with, you'd keep a low profile from now on. So take my advice, and do so."

Alice stared wide eyed and mouth slightly agape as Roy strode off purposefully.

Fane had turned around to watch Roy depart too, and crossed his arms over his chest as he contemplated the retreating back. "Giving up?" He asked lightly.

Alice closed her mouth with a smirk, and grabbed her glass of brandy from the bar counter. "Not on your life. Playing hard to get is such a turn on. He'll be mine soon enough, just you wait, Mister Banciu. Just you all wait and see."

Fane cast a deadpan glance her way before looking back to where he could see Roy standing by the dessert buffet trying to decide on a confection. "He may not be Raymond, but you better make sure he doesn't have a gun on him next time you try your feminine wiles."

"That pistol Raymond favored is not the gun I'm keen to be finding on him." Alice replied flatly and downed the rest of her brandy in one large swig. Setting the glass back on the counter with a hard clunk she grabbed Fane by the arm. "Come on, let's dance, ambassador."

Roy had picked up a treacle and was dissecting it with his fork standing as in least crowded a spot as he could find. He had seen Alice and Fane go to where there seemed to be a crowd of people dancing, and he had scowled. He wasn't sure what exactly they were up to, but he didn't like it one bit. He didn't like Alice, and he sure as hell did not like Fane.

"How are you enjoying yourself so far?"

Roy looked over, and smiled at Thomas in welcome. "Better than I thought. You were invited too?"

Thomas nodded his head with a small wink. "Perks of working for your friend. I get invited to all the fancy to-do's that normally a politician of my standing wouldn't be invited to."

"Is that Edward's decision or just the way it is?"

"The way it is." Thomas said, and spotted his boss there with Charles. "Things surrounding Mister Elric are governed by shades of gray in the rules. He's as, if not more, important to this country than his father was. "

"I knew his father only for a very short time." Roy said quietly, and continued mutilating his treacle. "He had two very special sons, I'm sure he was proud of them."

"Just proud?" Thomas frowned. "Granted Edward never speaks about him much, but is that all?"

Roy's lips pursed for a moment. "I'm sure he loved them too, what father couldn't, but I'm not sure it was a sentiment that was widely available to them."

Thomas nodded with a wistful sort of smile. "Sometimes parents don't always say the things that really matter." And he looked at Roy searchingly. "How is he doing? After the funeral and all?"

Roy shrugged, "as well as can be expected I guess. He's done nothing stupid or anything."

"That's good." Thomas nodded. "I'm sure it helps that you're there to talk to him if he needs it."

"I like to think so."

Thomas smiled a bit, and clapped Roy on the shoulder. "Well I'm going to go find myself a nice young lady to dance with. I'll see you later I'm sure."

Roy bade him goodbye and watched as the energetic politician sauntered off. In some ways, Thomas reminded him of Maes. And that was a good feeling to have. Looking back down at his plate he stabbed a piece of his mutilated treacle and ate it slowly while gazing around the room. He was doing his best to remain inconspicuous, just in case more girls like Alice were wandering the large estate hoping to happen upon some prey. He was definitely not in the mood to be hit on by girls.

"I saw you get kidnapped by Alice, how'd you lose her this time?"

Roy turned to Ed who had approached him from the side, and smiled at him smugly. "Gave her the slip again, while making it clear I wasn't interested in what she's offering. I also ran into Fane, and told them both to leave us the hell alone if they knew what was good for them."

Edward blinked, and then cracked a grin. "You told them that?"

"Yes."

Ed laughed and shook his head at Roy merrily. "Thanks. I'm glad you did. Though I doubt they'll listen."

"Probably not." Roy admitted, and stabbed another bite of treacle. "But at least they were warned. They're not dealing with the two most… tame people to ever exist."

"That's the truth." Edward muttered and reached over to snag a piece of mashed up treacle between two fingers and pop it into his mouth, sucking on the fingers enthusiastically.

Roy tried not to stare or let his jaw drop as he gazed back into those gold eyes that watched him so intently. "Can I speak to you alone?" He asked after they'd been gazing at each other for some time.

Edward nodded just slightly, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in his stomach. "As soon as it's polite, we'll leave."

Roy nodded as well.

And true to Edward's word, as soon as the Hawthorne's daughter had made an appearance to her own party and twenty solid minutes had gone by, the blonde led Roy off after having quickly made an excuse to James and Anne. He got the car back from the valets and soon they were driving home.

When they returned back to the chateau, both of them were rather quiet.

Edward finished hanging up his jacket in the coat closet before turning to Roy who stood there in the foyer a yard or so away. "Roy?" He asked, his hands still clinging to the fabric of the coat as if it gave him stability.

Roy took a deep breath, and braced himself for whatever ended up resulting from what he was about to cause. But he had to, and no matter what happened, he knew he still loved Edward with all his heart. And it was time to move on and see what had always been just out of sight. Out of his reach. To see if he could finally complete the puzzle. "Did you love him?"

Edward pulled his hands away from the coat with a surprised and confused look. "Love who?" He asked slowly as he shut the closet door, his eyes never leaving Roy's.

"Raymond." Roy said simply, and waited for the inevitable whatever was about to come.

Edward's eyes widened, and he was left speechless for a moment, before he started towards the staircase at a furious walk. "No. I never loved Raymond, and I never will. He was just a reflection." He snapped in irritation.

However Roy wasn't finished, and he reached out to grab Ed by his arm and pull him back. "Are you certain of that? Are you telling me the truth?" He asked as he held Edward firmly by the arm, his eyes searching Edward's face.

"What?" Edward whispered, his eyes growing wide again. And then his eyes seemed to glare. "You think I've been lying to you, Roy?"

"You've been hiding something from me, and I want to know what the hell it is." Roy demanded unflinchingly under that hot glare.

Ed wrenched his arm away. "I liked him, but it never went any further." He said in a carefully controlled tone. "He looked like you. And like a fool I was desperate to believe that if I imagined hard enough, I'd not know it was him. I'd be back with you and maybe my life didn't have to be so empty anymore."

"Do you love me?" Roy asked after a moment in which they both stood with friction crackling between them.

At that moment, Edward felt his anger leave him. Leaving him with that hollow ache. "Yes." He whispered softly, his cheeks coloring a bit. "But I would have gone with Raymond had he not betrayed me, and I'd have imagined it was you. What sort of twisted love is that?" He continued in the same soft, almost dejected tone as he looked towards the floor. "I was lonely without you."

Roy slowly reached out to tilt Edward's chin back up so their eyes met again. "Nothing happened between you two?" He asked gently.

"No." Edward replied honestly, and stepped back with a heavy sigh. "I understand if you want to leave."

Frowning, Roy stepped after him and snatched up one of Ed's hands to keep him there. "Leave? Why the hell would I leave? Edward, for once in your life don't think that it's so easy for me to cast you off."

"But-"

"And shut up for a minute." Roy added as an afterthought. "Ed," he grabbed the other man's chin again, "listen closely. It _doesn't matter_. It doesn't matter to me that you felt like that because he looked like me, because _he_ doesn't matter. Not anymore. I'm here now, and if you love me, then there's no reason for me to leave. Because in case you haven't noticed, you little idiot, I'm in love with you as well. Personally I'm willing to forgive you for thinking I could ever be so charming and good looking with two eyes, if you are willing to forgive yourself."

Edward blinked at him wide-eyed.

Roy smiled at him reassuringly, and moved his hand from Edward's chin to brush his fingers over the slightly parted lips. "Stop beating yourself up over it. It's your choice now." And he drew his fingers away to reach into the pocket to pull out a certain battered envelope that he'd brought with him just in case. "I'll always love you, Edward. No matter what you choose."

Edward took the envelope hesitantly. "What's this?"

"Something I wasn't sure until tonight if you should read. It's from Raymond, and yes, I know what it says. Do with it what you want." Roy answered quietly. "Think over what I said. If you can let me love you, you know where I live."

Edward held the envelope with shaking fingers, staring down at it as Roy walked past him. After a second Edward seemed to snap out of his trance and whirled around to watch Roy go up the staircase. He watched Roy until the man had vanished from sight, before looking back down at the envelope. With a decisive movement, Edward headed for the kitchen.

But it was not a bottle of liquor he grabbed from the drawer he pulled open.

It was a lighter.

Going over to the sink Edward looked at the envelope long and hard. There was a time where he would have opened it without hesitation. But Roy was right… it didn't matter anymore. Roy was here now, and Roy loved him.

So holding up the envelope above the sink, Edward began to slowly burn it from the bottom corners up. He watched numbly as the paper smoked and curled, ashes falling into the sink. He could see inked words shriveling up, and he kept burning them away. He burned the entire thing within a few minutes, and washed the pile of ashes down the sink, the lighter was left on the counter as he hurried from the kitchen.

Roy was laying in bed staring up at the ceiling in thought in the darkness of his room. Wondering if Edward had chosen to read the letter. Wondering if he'd done the right thing in giving it to him. Wondering what would happen between them, because even though it had been made clear they both loved one another, Edward's past emotional state made the blonde's actions impossible to guess at. Though Roy hoped that Edward wouldn't distance himself.

So deep in his thoughts he was that when Roy heard his bedroom door close he sat up sharply. "Ed-"

"Shh…" Edward slowly, nervously, walked over. He sat down hesitantly onto the edge of Roy's bed, nearly right next to him. "I burned it."

Roy blinked in surprise. "You didn't read it?"

Edward shook his head. "You knowing what it said is enough for me. And before you apologize for stealing my mail," he gazed into Roy's eyes with a small smile, "thank you."

Roy smiled back, and raised his hand, hesitated, and then cupped Edward's cheek tenderly.

Leaning into Roy's hand, a faint smile brushed Ed's lips. "Only you matter, Roy." And in a quick movement he leaned forward taking the back of Roy's neck in one hand as his lips met Roy's at long last. With a whimper Edward crawled onto the bed fully without breaking the kiss, he'd waited too long to do this to stop. His knees on either side of Roy he slid his other hand to Roy's shoulder to push against him.

Roy slowly lowered himself back onto the bed as his hands steadied Edward. It didn't take much convincing for Edward to part his lips, and Roy quickly deepened the kiss with a frenzied need. Yes, he'd made the right choice… this was where he needed to be.

He had all he had ever wanted here in his arms tonight.


	20. Chapter 20

So Edward starts on his path of throwing people for a loop. I can't wait until we get to more chapters with Alice and Fane. They're so much more fun than the queen, who is supposed to be a bit... out of it. What can I say, my interpretation of inbreeding means the queen shall act like a dope.

And I see everyone was pleased Edward finally kissed Roy. I wonder why.... it's not like I made you wait _too_ long XD.

In case no one has noticed either via my profile or my LJ, my laptop is again gone for repairs. So my update schedule shall be completely sucky. Please bear with me, I'm trying to get online when I can. As such I don't have time to individually answer reviews yet. Maybe later tonight when everyone else has gone to bed.

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Chapter Twenty

Roy was reasonably surprised when he woke up the next morning to find his arms full of a sleeping Edward. It was the fact that the blond was still asleep that amused him. Before he'd always thought Ed was awake first, yet here he was, sleeping away soundly. But then they'd had a very long night. With a smile Roy placed a kiss on Edward's head and relaxed back against the bed to wait for his cherished armful to wake.

And when Ed did awake, it was with a sleepy groan. "This bed sucks." He mumbled sleepily.

Roy chuckled, "how so?"

"Too hard. Move your stuff into my room." Edward replied and lost the fight to withhold a sleepy yawn.

"Yes dear." Roy replied obediently with a smirk. He didn't think his bed was uncomfortable, mostly because everything usually felt uncomfortable to him. He didn't exactly have cushioning for his bones. But if Edward wanted him to move his stuff into Ed's own room, he wasn't complaining.

Ed scowled at the endearment, but snuggled up to Roy anyway with a contented little sigh as his eyes closed again. "That's the first time in years I've slept well." He mumbled against Roy's chest.

"I'm that dreary, huh?" Roy teased, carding his fingers through the blonde hair fanned out across the sheets.

"You have no idea." Edward teased back. "Did we even finish last night before I went to sleep?"

Roy snorted, "you know the answer to that one very well, my loud-mouthed subordinate."

"Kinky."

"It could have been if I ever got up the balls to show you another use for that couch of mine you coveted." Roy admitted.

Ed snickered and lifted his head up so he could gaze down at Roy with a smile. "I'll settle for this. I'll have you any way I can, as long as it's you."

"I'm not going anywhere." Roy smiled back. "I have what I always wanted the most." He tucked a lock of hair behind Ed's ear tenderly. "Just no more world-hopping on me."

"I think I can manage that." Ed replied, and leaned down to kiss him soundly before in a burst of energy flying out of the bed before Roy could change their positions.

Roy groaned and watched Edward, quite literally, streak, into the bathroom. "Morning people." But he had to agree to the appeal of taking this into the shower. So he got up and followed after the blonde for his morning shower.

By the time they'd finished with their shower at last, Edward barely had time to help make them both breakfast. But he wasn't complaining.

"I'll be back before lunch, or I should be with any luck." Edward said as he finished chopping the fresh pineapple and dumped it into a bowl.

Roy nodded, and helped carry the food over to the table. "You sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"Yes." Edward replied immediately, firmly. "Like I said before, I can't protect you there if things go adversely. And I'm not going to put you at risk. Besides, it would be exceedingly boring for you. I'm too kind as to put you through that."

Roy shrugged, and sat down, passing Ed a plate. "I'll occupy myself then until you return. Though if you're gone past lunch I'm going to get worried."

"I shouldn't be." Edward replied as he began to cut into his pancake. "But just in case I ever am gone longer than I say I should be, I'll show you where I keep the number of the hotel Al is staying at. And Thomas's number. They'd know how to try and find me if you ever saw reason for it."

"You trust Thomas as much as your own brother?" Roy raised an eyebrow, grinning.

Edward smiled at that, though it was wavering on a smirk at best. "When Al is out of the country, Thomas is the next best person. I'm sure I've said something like it before, but I trust him the most out of all of his peers."

"So what is Al up to anyway?" Roy asked curiously.

Ed shrugged, "last I heard from him he was still hard at work. Though he should be having some downtime in between the occasional interviews."

The two of them finished eating their breakfast and tidied up the kitchen for later before Edward took Roy back up to his office. After showing him where all the phone numbers and such were kept in his desk, he made sure that Roy had plenty to read up on before giving him a not so quick kiss goodbye in the library and hurrying down the stairs.

From the coat closet Edward grabbed his black military styled jacket and pulled it on over the rather simple business suit he was wearing. He did hate wearing suits, which was why he tried to avoid going into work whenever he could, but alas today the occasion did call for it. Even if it wasn't his office in Parliament he was bound for this morning. This morning's meeting would be someplace far less noisy than the House of Commons he frequented for the beer and relaxed conversation. And notably a more sober place at that.

He grabbed the car keys and made for the garage, and found himself driving out the front gates not long later. He got out to shut and padlock them, not wanting Roy to be at risk for being bothered, even if the man could probably handle himself. He really wished he could have stayed home all day today reconnecting with the one he loved, but this meeting was unavoidable.

Unfortunately.

Soon Edward was back in the car, throwing up the gravel from the side of the road as he eased the car onto the main lane. At least the feel of the engine running at its peak cheered him up a bit, in some ways he was the typical male. And so he made his way back towards the city.

It took him almost half an hour to get there as well as get past the crowds of tourists flocking at the main gates. It took nearly ten uniformed guards which Edward waved gratefully to, in order to back off the tourists long enough for Ed to drive through and not have any of the tourism follow him inside.

He followed the driveway all the way up before stopping the car behind the car he recognized as Thomas's, and got out. After shutting the door he turned and looked up with a choked back sigh at Buckingham.

It was time to go have some fun.

"Mister Elric," one of the guards near the door greeted him as the blonde walked up the short flight of steps. "Mister Brown is waiting inside for you."

Edward nodded, and smiled at him. "Thank you, Gregory."

"Sir," Gregory called after him as he made to go inside, and at Edward's curious look, continued. "I heard that you embarrassed Mister Banciu at the press conference you held. Off the record, thank you."

Edward blinked, and then laughed. "Off the record indeed." And he went inside with a nod to the butler who had swung it open for him.

"So I got you a single espresso shot, or a double." Thomas immediately said as Edward came in the door, and he held out the two paper coffee cups with lids.

Edward smirked at him, "you came just to bring me coffee?" And he immediately reached for the double.

"Hello double." Thomas grinned as his boss snatched it away. "I actually came to be here for support afterwards if you think you need me to stick around for the conclusion."

"Who knows." Edward rolled his eyes. "It's either going to go perfectly, or I'm going to be needing you to book me a flight. If it's the latter, you'll be better off being at the office instead of here."

"Good point."

"And I told Roy to call you if I wasn't back by this afternoon. I'm not taking any chances." Ed took a sip of his coffee. "If I'm not, you'll know what to do."

Thomas smiled wryly. "Pray?"

"Just about." Edward smiled with a shake of his head. "Anyway," he took another drink of his coffee, "I'll see you on the other side."

"Good luck, Mister Elric." Thomas called after him.

Edward stuck a hand up in a wave as he marched off across the foyer to where another butler stood waiting for him. The elderly man said nothing, only turned and began to lead him up a flight of stairs. Ed followed along silently, having already learned that no matter how hard you tried, for some reason he could never get the butlers to speak.

Alphonse's joking explanation was that they thought Edward was a god not to be spoken to.

Edward had promptly given Al a rather nice black eye.

He smiled sadly, he missed his brother at a time like this. But he knew Al was better off being in Toronto right now, doing some decent work. Not this advising on politics nonsense that Ed settled into doing just because. He was just waiting for the sign to present itself. The sign that would tell him it was time to give up this playing it safe and under the radar.

And he was hoping that recent events meant it would be his time soon.

"The queen will see you now." The guard in front of the office door said, giving Edward a rare smile.

Edward nodded to him, and let himself in.

He shut the door behind him, and walked without pause across to a chair seated in front of the desk an elderly woman sat behind, reading a book. And he sat down without waiting for permission. There were just some occasions when he didn't observe formalities, except to take off his jacket and lay it across a chair arm. Hell, he wasn't even sure he'd have paid formalities to Roy when the man had been Fuhrer. Probably not. He probably would have jumped him after hours.

"Do you know why I called you here?" The woman asked, laying her book aside primly.

"No." Edward answered, meeting her gaze levelly. He had his suspicions, but he didn't know for sure.

"Truly?" She sounded surprised.

"Annabelle," Edward began quite calmly, "I do not attempt to guess aloud to you about what business you may have that's private until you decide to share it with me."

"Which is why you're invaluable." Annabelle nodded slowly.

Edward glanced away. "I advise politicians on how to manipulate. Choose your words with better care."

"Very well," Annabelle smiled, not the least bit ruffled by the cautionary words. "I had hoped you'd bring along your house guest. Mister Muravyov's half-brother."

"I didn't feel it necessary, nor was I asked to bring him." Ed replied. "I received no information but to come here this morning and meet with you."

Annabelle clasped her hands together, studying Edward over the rims of her glasses. "Did you suspect that I have called you here because of him?"

"I would rather not discuss what I thought would transpire, but rather what will." Edward countered with ease.

"Indeed you would." She murmured, and sat back in her chair. "I've never doubted your loyalty before, but I am curious as to know why you had never mentioned Roy's existence before. It-"

Edward's golden eyes flashed, "never doubted my loyalty? If I recall correctly, you were among many, your majesty, who had charges brought against me before Raymond was captured. And I distinctly remember your signature on the warrant that had me thrown into prison."

"Enough." She told him firmly. "We amended for that, and you turned down the apology. It is not my burden to bear. Now, back to Roy-"

"Roy was never of any importance back then. He wasn't around, therefore there was no need to mention him."

"Yes, true." Annabelle nodded, "but who's to say that Raymond and Roy did not switch places for one another?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Do you not believe I had not considered such an event? They had no love for each other, Raymond didn't even know Roy existed, and I never saw the need to inform him of what his half-brother would rather him not be."

"I would feel better if he is interrogated to ascertain that he is telling the truth about his identity."

"I'm sure you would." Edward said, his eyes narrowing. "But I would not. Believe me, I can tell them apart as easily as day and night. And if Roy were not in fact Roy, and instead Raymond, you can believe that I would have killed him already myself. Out of anyone, I am the one who has the most reason to know for sure his identity. So let me handle this, and you can go back to thinking that everything is perfect, and that no wrongs were ever done to me because you misjudged. Don't do it again."

"Edward-"

"Am I the main advisor for this country, or am I not?" Edward said quietly. "I know what I'm talking about. So either listen to my advice, or you can try to get your hands on him. But I can guarantee you, if anyone puts even one scratch on Roy, it will not be pretty."

"Since when do you threaten your queen?" Annabelle asked with narrowed eyes. Something had gotten into the advisor, and she wasn't sure just what.

Edward stood, grabbing his jacket as he did so. "Since she continues to allow herself to be led around by false suspicions set in her mind by a certain ambassadors gossip. I'd have thought you'd have learned your lesson about certain ambassadors by now. But I assure you, it is not a threat. I won't let you jerk him around just because this so happens to be your country."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt anymore than you already have. They're the same blood, after all."

"Ah yes, because that makes all the difference." Edward turned and strode towards the door. "Leave Roy alone, leave this matter alone, and let the country move forward. It's the best you can do."

"What has gotten into him?" Annabelle asked as the door closed sharply behind the man. And she tried to figure out just where things had gone astray and why. Edward had seemed to be acting normally at first.

Meanwhile Edward had finally gotten back to his car, after having some short polite conversation with the guards. After all, it was nice to have them on your side, they helped out a lot with crowd control when he needed it. And soon enough he was pulling out of the gates, past the tourists with their cameras, and back out onto the busy roads of London.

When he returned home, it was well before lunch. Which he was glad of, he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Roy.

Meanwhile inside the chateau…

Roy had finally finished moving what few things were his into Edward's room. It hadn't taken him too long, and now he was just looking around. Which was the kinder way of saying he was ransacking Ed's room because he was bored without the blond around. Which was how he happened to come across the saber stashed under the bed.

Pulling it free he held it up to the light, seeing that it was sharpened for use. Well, hacking and hewing use. "Do not want to scare him when he's asleep." Roy muttered, giving the thing an ungainly wave. It felt like he was holding a lead two-by-four and expecting it to be graceful.

"How is this supposed to be a useful weapon?" Roy grumbled, trying to arc the blade, but only managing to nearly lose his grip on the hilt as the tip jammed into the carpet causing the whole thing to vibrate dangerously.

From the doorway, Edward fell against the door frame snickering. "The pointy end goes into someone else, not the carpet."

Roy turned, and his eyes glared at Ed even as he smiled happily. "You're back."

"I am." Edward smiled, and walked over to take Roy's hand in his, readjusting it to a proper hold on the hilt. "I hope you didn't gouge the entire carpet trying to be a samurai?"

"Just half." Roy smirked, and lifted the thing again. "Do you use this?"

"Yes. But just for practice. I've never actually killed anyone with it." Edward smiled. "It's like using my old automail blade to me. I never have felt a difference."

"Will you teach me?" Roy asked then, and gave Edward his best woeful almost teary-eyed look.

Edward snorted, and hit the side of Roy's head. "Yes, but not right now. Maybe after we do something else if you're not too tired afterwards."

Roy arched an eyebrow in interest. "Oh? And what do you propose we do?"

"Well," Edward slipped the saber out of Roy's hand, and set it aside carefully. He then encircled his arms around Roy's neck with a smile. "This suit is rather uncomfortable…"

Roy looked him over, and swallowed audibly. He was not one to deny the allure of Edward in a suit. "In that case," he looked back into those golden eyes, "I think we should get you out of it."

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day." Edward declared, and lost no time in kissing Roy soundly even as he backed them up towards the bed.

Yes, this was the perfect ending to a morning filled with a queen who was completely in-adept. God save Prime Minister Kain.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

**Toronto**

It just so happened that Al was having one such downtime as Edward had spoken of only earlier that day several hundred miles away. He wasn't expected anywhere today, which was a first. Ever since his fourth day here he'd been kept absurdly busy between interviews, research, phone conferences, and other various tasks. It had usually been wake up, work, sleep. And so he planned to make full use of his unscheduled day.

Which was how he had ended up back at the bakery he'd discovered that was owned by yet another reflection of this world.

"Well, well, look what the cats dragged in."

Al smiled at her as she came over to the counter upon his opening the door. "Sorry, I meant to stop by again sooner, but it's been very busy." And he had wanted to see her again, for many reasons. Nostalgia among them.

Marta smiled back, and shrugged. "It's why I'm not a reporter. The only rules I have to follow are those of how long something needs to rise."

Alphonse chuckled, and came over to stand across the counter from her. "That does sound much more relaxed I admit. But unfortunately for me, I like my job well enough."

Laughing, Marta straightened, and brushed her flour-dusted hands on the blue apron she wore. "You British are just a touch strange."

"Ah," Al held up a hand, "but I am not British. I just live there and leech off of the benefits."

"And how many more benefits do _you_ get?"

"Because of my brother?"

Marta nodded.

"None." Al shrugged and shook his head a bit. "He's the special one, not me. I'm only special to those who don't know any better. Like my coworkers. But that's the way I want it."

Marta smiled at him. "You are special, just in a deceptively charming reporter way."

Al laughed lightly, smiling back at her. "Deceptively charming?"

"Yes, for all I know you're a food critic."

Al's smile softened, "then you're getting five gold stars in my book."

Marta rolled her eyes in amusement, and put her hands on her hips. "See what I mean? Deceptively charming."

Al chuckled, and raised his hands off to the side a bit in a gesture of impartiality. "I'll take your word on it. But thank you." He replied as his head tilted to the side a bit. "It really is good to see you again." And he knew she would never understand just how much. Or just why he felt such a strong attachment to her. But as long as he never forgot just what they had been through together. Or, at least the Marta he'd once known.

"Of course it is." She replied with a wink.

Alphonse laughed, "listen, I find myself with a lot of time on my hands today. Is there any chance I could coerce you with my charming deception into joining me for lunch or something?"

Marta considered him, slowly smiling. "You must make a very good reporter."

"Why do you say that?" Al asked her with a curious little frown.

"You're easy to talk to." She explained, and as the door to the bakery was opened, looked over along with Alphonse as a mother and her two children came in the door.

Al nodded to them, and winked at Marta. "Just ignore me." And he wandered away from the counter to wander along the cases of food and racks displaying the freshly baked breads.

He loved the smell of it all, and for some reason this life suited the Marta he'd known. She had been a kind person underneath the hardened criminal exterior. And personally he never wanted to encounter a baker when said baker was angry, rolling pins weren't exactly child's play weapons.

Marta finished the purchase for the mother, and gave the children both a cookie much to their delight. Once they had left with their mother, she looked over to where Al was browsing the sourdough breads. "I close in an hour for lunch." She smiled, leaning up against the counter. "You should have come earlier during the rush and I would have put you to work for stealing me away for lunch."

Al smiled, and chuckled softly to himself. "Next time I have a morning free, I will." He promised, looking over at her. "I love how it smells in here, it reminds me of home." That and he still hadn't gotten over the novelty of being able to eat again.

"Your brother must be a good cook."

"He is, when I go over." Al said as he walked back over to where she stood by the register. "He eats so much that it rather forces the good cook to come out. I'll be the first to admit that my own cooking could use work. I'm not nearly good enough. Give me a story to break, or something metal in nature to fix and I'll amaze. But sometimes I forget what a spatula looks like."

Marta burst out laughing, and rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious."

"Oh I am." Al grinned at her jokingly. "Nah, but it gives you an idea."

Marta chuckled, shaking her head in amusement at him. She had no idea why it was so easy to talk and laugh with someone she'd only met a few times. But it was. It was the strangest feeling… almost like she'd known him very well at one time but somewhere along the line forgotten. "Definitely not a food critic then."

"No." Al smiled.

"Well," Marta stood up from slouching against the counter, "you say you're good at fixing metal things?"

"Call it a strange affinity." He had, after all, spent much of his life as a suit of armor. It had forged a link between he and the stuff that had been rather unbreakable. From the short time he'd spent using his alchemy to control similar suits of metal, to being sent here where his hands worked a different magic.

Marta glanced back toward the kitchen before looking back at Al. "I have a slicer that is jamming up. Do you think you could look at it for me? I mean, since you plan to loiter here until lunch, I may as well put you to work unless you want me to call the police."

Al laughed at that. "There's an idea, you could bail me out."

"Am I that nice?" Marta asked with a smirk, and waved him back around the counter as she walked back into the kitchen.

Following after her, Al smiled, his hands shoving into his pockets. He could only imagine how surprised she'd be if she knew the extent of things they'd once done for one another. "Oh I'd be willing to bet in my favor."

"I bet you would." Marta agreed wryly and stopped in front of a steel chute with two openings. One for the bread, and one for the sliced end result after it was sent through. "Well this is it, I honestly have no idea where to tell you to begin."

Al smiled at her and walked over to it, leaning down to place an ear to the chute as he ran a hand over the cold metal slowly. "Don't worry. This shouldn't be too complicated, it's a good machine."

Marta arched an eyebrow at this strange method of analysis. "How do you know?"

"Instinct." Al replied, and lifted his head away to look at her. "Would you not say that you have a connection to your dough? Or snakes?"

Marta's eyes widened. "How do you-"

Al motioned to the tattoo of a snake on her bicep. "Took a wild guess."

She looked at it, and frowned before looking back at Al. "Fair enough."

"Leave the slicer to me." Al told her, and put his ear back against it, resuming his petting up and down the chute while he listened carefully. "I'll fix it in no time."

He smiled faintly as he watched her leave, even as he continued to listen to the faint vibrations of the metal as he ran his hand along it. This would hardly be the most complicated thing he'd fixed. As far as he could tell right now, it was jamming because of something to do with the blades themselves. He couldn't hear any anomalies.

So he began.

From up front where she was tending to another customer that had walked in, Marta pondered over the man she'd let so quickly into her life. As this bakery _was_ her life. He put her at ease in the strangest way, and she was seriously beginning to think that maybe she'd met him before and merely forgotten. But then, he didn't seem to remember her either.

After she'd finished the purchase and the customer had left, she glanced over her shoulder to see Al smiling to himself, hand stuck down the chute and feeling around the blades. She shuddered, even she wasn't brave enough to stick her hand down there. But at least he seemed to have unplugged the power, as a large black cable was now visible when before it had been hidden behind other machinery.

Shaking her head, she smiled and turned back around so she could keep working and stop staring at the man. Though she didn't think it was a shame to stare at him. He was more than charming. He had the looks to go along with it. If only she could figure out whether he had asked her out for lunch for purely company, or for another reason altogether.

Well, she had an hour to think about it.

As the minutes passed, Al continued to make progress with his little repair. The only thing difficult about it was that the blades were at an odd angle to work with. Even after he'd pulled off the front panel that gave him access. But finally he was able to move on from the repair, and to actually testing out the result. So he plugged the machine back in and switched it on to be sure the blades were rotating properly this time.

"Am I good? I am good." Alphonse muttered to himself as he switched the machine off and began putting the panel back on.

"Hey, did you get it?"

Al looked over his shoulder and smiled at Marta. "Pretty sure. Could I borrow some bread?"

She smirked at him. "Are you going to give it back?"

"Depends on this beauty." He said, patting the chute fondly.

Marta chuckled and walked over to one of the cooling racks to grab a loaf of bread that had been waiting for the slicer anyway. "Go for it." She said, handing him the loaf.

Al promptly turned the switch and dropped the bread down the slight incline of the chute. Several seconds later the sliced result appeared on the other end without a trace of being mangled.

"You are good." Marta admitted as she stared at it.

"Of course I am." Al replied as he turned the switch off. "I better be all things considered."

"You're one of the strangest guys I've ever met." Marta decided despite the smile on her face.

Al raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't say it like it's a bad thing. Could you imagine if I were normal?"

"I'd still be down one slicer."

"Precisely." Al nodded with a smirk. "But trust me, I'm normal compared to my brother. He has a llama instead of a dog to guard his home. No clue what inspired him there."

"A llama?" Marta had to admit she wouldn't have expected anyone to have a llama to guard anything.

"Vicious little thing if it doesn't like you." Al said with an uncertain sort of smile. "Fortunately he does like me so I don't have to worry about it chasing me into the electric fence."

Marta paled a bit. "Your brother sounds dangerous."

Alphonse snickered, "he'd like to think so." But in reality, he knew his brother was dangerous. It was hardly prudent to go around broadcasting just _how_ dangerous his brother could be though, so he'd play the innocent card.

"Well," Marta shook herself out of that, "I'm ready to close for lunch. Are you ready?"

Al smiled at her, and nodded. "Yeah. You're sure you don't mind my stealing you away?"

Marta rolled her eyes and pulled her apron off over her head as she walked away so she could lock the front door. "If I did, I'd have sent you away."

"Despite being deceptively charming?" Al asked in fake hurt as he followed her.

"Absolutely." Marta chuckled and took her keys out of one of the many pockets of her cargo pants.

Al stepped outside, looking around as Marta locked the door. "So how long have you lived here?" He asked as he began to lead the way.

"Most of my life." Marta replied as she fell in step with him. "And then one day I opened up my bakery, against my parent's wishes. They wanted me to do something with my life that would make a difference in the world. And now I bake cookies."

"Changing the world a cookie at a time doesn't sound like a bad decision." Al told her with a smile as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Cookies bring smiles, and smiles bring happiness. This world needs more happiness. So keep baking cookies."

Marta chuckled, and shook her head a bit. "You sound like a life coach."

"I've lived plenty of life to agree with you there." Al admitted with a bit of a sigh. "A lack of happiness about how your life currently is always seems to have a link to the greatest examples of unhappiness in the world."

"Are you happy with your life?" Marta asked him. "Are you happy being a reporter?"

"I'm alive." Al replied as he looked up into the sunshine, relishing in the feel of the warmth against his skin. Skin he never took for granted. "After all I've been through, being alive at the end of it all is something I'm very happy about."

Marta considered him for a time, then nodded. "I get the feeling that a cake catching on fire was ever the worst of your troubles."

"Mmm." Al agreed with a snorting sort of laugh. He didn't have enough fingers to count the things he'd been through that had been worse than a cake catching on fire. Such as having the Marta he'd known from the other side of the Gate killed inside of him.

After a while they reached the outdoor café Alphonse had been heading for. It was set on the edge of Lake Ontario, and he loved the view. The cool breeze wafting across the water, and the cries of the gulls. Even the water itself was beautiful to look at.

"So how are you enjoying being here so far?" Marta asked as they found a seat at one of the tables next to the railing overlooking the water.

Alphonse looked away from the water and over to her. "Very much. It would help if I wasn't so worried about my brother, but it's nice. And the company is far better than I'd first thought it would be when my plane landed."

Marta smiled a bit at that. "Why are you worried about your brother?"

"Not sure if he's taken my advice yet on what to do with Roy." Al answered with a shrug. "But that's boring, trust me. I'd rather not bore you."

"Ah, I heard about that story." Marta nodded.

"Neither of us ever thought we'd see Roy again. So it was rather a shock for us as well. Him more than me, but even so." Al chuckled darkly to himself. "But I still wonder just how he managed to get himself here."

"I can imagine he would have been recognized before then. It's shocking he managed to avoid it for so long."

"You have no idea." Al smiled at her and laughed to himself. "Anyway, as a local, mind if I pick your brain about the best places for a tourist like me to go? I'm going to be here for another month and a half almost, so feel free to load on the information."

Marta took a sip of her water as she thought about it. "Well, prepare yourself then."

"Preparing." Al grinned and settled in to listen as Marta began telling him all about her favorite places.

They talked through their lunch about all the best sights to see and things to do. Alphonse wasn't even sure if his order had been delivered correctly, he'd been so focused on listening and talking with her that he'd barely remembered to eat. It had been a while since he'd had someone to really sit and talk to. And it wasn't anything terrible that it just so happened to be Marta he had found yet again.

After lunch, and after Al had paid for both their meals despite Marta's glowering, they left the café.

Alphonse walked along the bank of the lake with her, slowly making their way back. "Do you believe in coincidences?" He asked her conversationally, looking out over the lake.

"Coincidences like what?" Marta asked over at him.

Al smiled, "never mind. Silly question." And he looked over at her thoughtfully. "Could we do this again?"

"Lunch?"

"Or dinner." Al suggested with a smile. "I promise I won't cook it."

Marta considered him for a moment, before nodding. "I'd like that."

Al smiled even more. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, it wasn't as if he could stay here. But right now he didn't exactly care. Time had been stolen from them before, and he was reluctant to let it be the same way twice. "Tomorrow night okay?"

"I'm a baker, anytime at night is okay." She laughed, "its the mornings you have to watch out for."

"I'll drop by at seven then."

"My house is behind the bakery."

"In the alley?" Al teased.

Marta rolled her eyes, and promptly shoved him so that he stumbled into the chilly water of the lake. "Yes, in the cardboard box."

Al yelped as the cold water splashed all over, and he stumbled out of the lake as Marta laughed. "So not fair."

Marta snickered, and continued to do so as they began to walk back towards her bakery. Any other guy to make such remarks and shoving them into the lake would have resulted in a drowning. But Al was different. She couldn't help but like him. Which only proved that she'd been right, he was deceptively charming.

Al was mostly dry by the time they reached the bakery again, and he waited around to be sure she got inside without trouble. "I'll see you tomorrow night then?" He asked as she got it open.

Marta smiled at him as she propped open the door. "Yes. Just tell me what sort of dinner you had in mind."

"Between casual and overly fancy." Al smiled, "what do women wear to that?"

"You'll just have to find out, won't you." Marta winked at him.

Al nodded in agreement. He would indeed. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He said and turned to leave.

"Hey, Al, hold up." Marta called after him, and when he turned around hesitated before saying, "this is going to sound strange, but have we ever met before that first day you came in?"

Al blinked at her, his face not betraying for once his surprise. "Coincidence or fate… it's a strange question as to which this is." He smiled softly at her. "I once knew someone who reminds me of you very much." And raised a hand in a short wave as he walked away before she could question him further.

There were just some questions that right now he didn't want to answer. Or even face.

But he couldn't help but wonder if it was coincidence or fate that he'd have met Marta, of all people, again.


	22. Chapter 22

Just answering a few questions really fast.

Emaleya: I still need a few places for future dates between them. So if you know of any good ones, let me know. It helps shorten my research time down. My only requirement, if I use a very specific place, is that it had to have existed in 1950.

GreedxEd aka wife: Will that question haunt you as much as the one from Ed pole dancing does?

* * *

And now I get to make phone calls... exciting. I can't wait until I'm done with this tax nonsense.

And a notice for the Fallen readers, it's updated to chapter eleven currently.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Two

Edward had been staring out the windows of the library from where he stood leaning against one of the ladders, his arms linked around the rungs to give him support. He had been listening to Roy's muttering about the idiot astronomers of this world for the past twenty minutes or so, and merely smirking as he listened. But he understood Roy's unimpressed amusement, it was hard to play dumb sometimes and follow the crowd when you knew better. When you knew a Gate existed that allowed passage between two worlds. "Just understand the basics. Space travel is a hot topic right now." He said for the fifth time.

And for the fifth time he received a snort in response.

Ed merely smiled, and glanced across the horizon. "These people aren't as keen as we are to remain on one planet. Unfortunately we're rather doomed to live out the remainder of our lives on a planet not our own. They don't realize the consequences of jumping worlds."

"Well, unlike you, I can't ever return." Roy reminded him, glowering down at the pages of the book he was reading with such sarcastic amusement. "I died and got sent here. If I went back, I'd be dead again."

"I wouldn't go back without you." Edward said softly. "Alchemy doesn't mean as much to me as you do. And I learned my lesson about human transmutation."

Roy looked over at him with a teasing smile. "Now if only I could say the same about my alchemy versus you…"

"Bastard." Edward chuckled, and tossed him a mock glare. "Just you wait, I'll make you sleep up on the roof."

Roy shuddered. "Tempting, but I think my skeleton self will pass."

Ed smirked, and looked back out the window. "Good, because you have nothing but skin and clothes to keep you warm. And it's going to snow tonight."

Roy looked out the window at the completely clear sky. "Tonight?"

"It'll start in a few hours." Edward replied with a small smile that did not reach the worry in his eyes. "I had hoped it would hold off another week. But the sky is already darkening off to the west, and there aren't any birds. They've all turned in early to wait out the weather."

"Is that what you've been watching all this time? Birds?"

"Yes, and the horses." Ed said, and straightened slowly away as his back cracked from being moved from against the ladder. "Speaking of which, I need to go grab the mother-to-be and put her in the garage after I move the car out. I'd rather her not be out in the snow this close to delivering."

Roy lowered the book onto his thighs, "do you want me to move the car? I'm not going near those horses."

Smirking, Edward walked over and leaned down to kiss Roy's hair. "That'd be a big help. But face it, you and Jasper got along when you needed to."

Roy shuddered, and set the book aside so he could stand up. "That was an emergency, one time only affair." He said quite firmly as he followed after the blonde. "I hope you don't plan to do a repeat of that just to force me on a horse again?"

"You caught me." Ed joked, and smiled over his shoulder at Roy. "You'll see, if you can learn to be comfortable around Nitro, you can learn to be comfortable around the horses. They're good animals, they won't hurt you."

"So _you_ say." Roy replied. "But what do _they _say?"

"Neigh."

Roy snorted, and swatted the top of Edward's head in answer.

Still chuckling to himself, Edward left the car to Roy as he went outside. The air was already gaining that crisp feeling, and it smelled like ice to him. Which sounded strange and quite impossible, but Edward could swear that ice had a smell. Shivering a bit, he walked around the side of the chateau, heading towards the electrical wire that separated the two yards.

Once he'd ducked under he began to search out the horses. He wasn't sure where Nitro was either, but he knew the llama was _somewhere_. Shoving his hands into his pockets he made a beeline across the grass to head farther in. He did hope that they hadn't decided to head all the way to the opposite end of the property for a drink. But he knew it would be just his luck that as soon as he'd decide to come out and snag one of them away, they'd all gallop off.

They had been within view of the library only minutes ago.

Well, at least that meant even if they'd all taken off, they'd still be able to hear him. Because he sure wasn't seeing them just yet. And he was just about to whistle to try and get their attention, when he spotted several of them at last. He just hoped that the one he needed was among them.

Drawing his hands out of his pockets he broke into a jog as the wind picked up some, blowing fallen and dried leaves across the grass and through the air. He breathed in relief as he saw Camira lying down, being watched over by Jasper, Andes, and Glue. And he slowed to a walk as he came within a few feet of them all.

"Thanks boys." He said to the geldings, shooing them back as he went to the mare's head. Kneeling down he smiled as she woke from sleeping to demand being pet. "Come on, mama. Let's get you inside." He said, urging her to stand.

Camira grunted in disapproval of standing, but did so anyway. Even if it took her a while to manage to do so carefully.

Edward waited well out of the way, absentmindedly patting Glue's neck. Once she was up he reached out to grab some of her mane to keep a hold on her. "We're going to go on a little adventure." He told her as he began to lead the plodding mare towards the electric fence.

Once he'd gotten that far, it took them awhile considering how slow Camira was walking, he flipped off the switch that powered the electricity, and unhooked the wire from its catch in the wall of the chateau so that he could get the horse through. Once he had the mare on the other side, he hooked everything back up and flipped the power on.

Edward led her along all the way to the end of the driveway where Roy had parked the car and was now leaning up against it, shooting the very pregnant mare a wary look. "Oh she won't hurt you, she's too fat." Ed chastised with an amused roll of his eyes as he pulled off his shirt.

Roy's eyebrows raised as he watched the blonde half-strip out here in the front yard. "Not that I'm complaining," he said as he swept his eyes up and down the body in front of him, "but what are you doing?"

Snorting in laughter, Edward tossed Roy a reproachful look as he finished straightening out his shirt. "Nothing for you, not yet." He said and turned to the mare. Whispering quiet nonsense under his breath he carefully draped the shirt over her head, patting her neck reassuringly as she began to shuffle uncertainly. Holding it on from underneath, Edward patiently coaxed her forward.

"They don't like being closed in…" Roy remembered as he watched Edward make slow progress.

"No." Ed agreed as they gained another step towards the garage, though Camira was moving faster now. He knew that all the horses trusted him, he just needed to insist that it was okay, whatever he was doing.

Roy frowned, "so how is she going to handle being inside here?"

"I'm going to sedate her. If she panics she could have a miscarriage. Sedating her isn't precisely the best thing to do, but it's the least of the evils. I don't want her giving birth out in the snow. And I for one was not the idiot that let her get pregnant so that she'd deliver just in time for winter."

"Need some help?" Roy asked as he followed Edward in, pulling the garage door down so that it shut.

Edward flipped on the lights, still not letting go of the horse. "There's a metal box on that far shelf. The green one. I need it."

Roy fetched it, and edged the long way around the blindfolded mare, much to Edward's amusement. And he held it out at an arm's length.

"Pansy." Edward chuckled as he took the box and walked both he and his horse over to the nearby worktable. Setting the metal box onto the surface he flipped the catch on the lid and began to rummage one-handed through the contents. Pulling out a syringe in a plastic wrapper he set it out along with the brown bottle of sedative. "Can you get the lid off, and the plastic?"

"How would you ever have managed without me?" Roy teased as he nervously edged over to do so.

"I'm sure I could have trained Nitro to take your place." Edward remarked off-handedly.

"Hey!"

"You think?"

"Absolutely not." Roy said quite adamantly, and stepped back quickly. He was done.

Edward smirked at him, "thanks." And he uncapped the syringe, and drew the sedative up into it until he had enough. Humming to himself, and giving her a pat with the palm of the hand holding the syringe, he released his hold on the shirt slowly. Once he was sure that the mare wasn't going to whip the shirt off just yet, he grabbed up the loose skin on her neck and quite smoothly inserted the needle and began to pump in the sedative.

Roy watched as the mare merely twitched. "I can't believe she trusts you with a needle. I wouldn't."

Edward smirked as he drew it out slowly, and rubbed a bit on the spot he'd injected. "That's because if it hurts badly when I give you a shot, it's on purpose. Because you'd probably have deserved it. She's done nothing to deserve pain."

"Fantastic." Roy rolled his eyes. "So how long until it starts working?"

"Enough to leave her alone? Maybe ten minutes." Edward estimated as he began to put everything away while keeping one eye on the horse.

"I'm going back inside then." Roy decided, and edged around the mare to go to the door that led back inside, ignoring Edward's snickers.

He debated locking the door, but decided he wasn't that cruel. So he wandered down the hallway, intending to go up to the library, but pausing as he took a good look at the doors down this way. He'd always known they were there, but he'd never gone in. Not that he had ever had a need to, and he still didn't. Maybe one day, but for now he'd rather not put Ed into a panic because he'd vanished from everywhere he normally would be.

So he resumed his walking towards the staircase. Perhaps if he finished that damn absurd book he'd have some time to play on the piano. He hadn't touched it in quite a while, and he missed it.

The minutes passed, and finally Edward walked into the house with a partially relieved, and partially tired look on his face. The mare was not happy about being closed in, but nor was she freaking out and injuring herself or her unborn foal. He would just need to be sure he sedated her again first thing in the morning.

He finished climbing the stairs to see Roy looking heavily absorbed in his reading and mockery of the author. Shaking his head with a smile he was about to go rejoin the man when the phone rang. Seeing that Roy didn't appear to have heard it, Edward walked over to quickly pick it up before it disturbed him. "Hello?"

"_Sorry I haven't called sooner, I've been really busy._"

Edward smiled at the sound of his brother's voice. "I know, don't worry about it. How are you?"

"_Really good. A bit homesick, but things are going well here. I should be asking how you are though. I know the funeral wasn't that long ago._"

His eyes darkened a bit, and Edward held back the sigh as he slid down along the wall by the phone to sit. "It gave me some closure, but it was hard. I think the only thing that got me through it was the fact that Roy was there. He just… anchors me."

"_He always did. So you're okay then?_"

"Yeah." Ed smiled faintly. "I'm okay. I'm getting over it. I used to be able to go only hours at a time without seeing Raymond in Roy, and now I can go nearly a whole day. But that might be because Roy is _very_ good at distracting me."

"_How so? Did you tell him? Tell me!_" Al's voice was laughingly eager, and Ed had to pull the phone away from his ear a bit as he grinned.

"I told him the rest of the truth_._" Edward said with a smile, and chuckled as Al's guffaw of 'I told you so' was said faintly over the other line.

"_And?_"

"I now understand just why so many people were willing to have one-night stands with him. Except I get to keep him come morning."

"_Details!_"

"Al! You're my brother!"

"_And you're absolutely no fun at all._" Was Al's matter-of-fact retort. "_I'm happy for you both brother. Just remember, I want to officiate the secret wedding._"

Edward blushed even as his eyes grew wide, but thoughtful. "I'm not sure either of us are the marryable type."

"_Even more reason for it. You two are perfect together._"

Ed rolled his eyes. "We'll see. But enough about me, what chaos have you been causing?"

Al was silent for a few moments, before his voice came over the phone again. "_I met Marta again._"

Understanding hit Edward like a brick wall, and the smile faded from his face. "Are you okay?"

"_I'm fine. Honestly. It's my own kind of closure in a way to see her again._"

"She's your Raymond?"

"_Well,_" Al's voice sounded amused, "_I doubt she's capable of treason. She's a baker._"

"You know what I mean." Edward said dryly.

"_I never had the time to fall in love with anyone. You know that. But I was close to Marta, I mean, she died inside of me. That's not something you just forget overnight. If ever. So I'm glad to see that she still exists on this side._"

Edward smiled softly. "You have the time now. If you like this Marta as well, you should try and be happy too you know."

"_Seems to be my subconscious plan. I invited her out for dinner tomorrow night._"

Ed grinned now. "My baby brother has a date?! Oh I'm so proud!"

"_Oh shut up, brother!_" Al laughed over the phone.

"Now remember to mind your manners with the lady." Ed teased mercilessly.

"_You're terrible._"

"I know it. But you still love me." Edward chuckled, and cleared his throat. "But seriously, take a chance. Bright side is, is that Bradley isn't anywhere near Toronto, and she can't hide inside of you anymore."

"_I was just wondering if you could do me a favor?_"

Edward blinked, intrigued. "Name it."

"_Put Roy on the phone?"_

Edward let out an 'ah' of understanding. "Sure." And he stood up while walking towards the library, dragging the receiver along with him. "Roy? Al needs to ask you some questions."

Roy looked up from the book, and set it aside so he could get up with a curious look. "Alphonse, huh, what's up with him?"

Ed grinned, holding out the phone. "He's got a date tomorrow night. I think it's fair to say you're the one of us three who knows more about that sort of thing."

Roy snorted, and swatted Ed on the rear with one hand as he took the phone in the other. He smiled as Edward scowled at him, rubbing his rear with both hands. But he turned away from the distractingly edible blonde to put the phone to his ear. "Fire away, Al."

As Roy and Al began to talk over the phone, Edward walked through the library to stand at the window again. By now the clouds were sweeping in fast across the sky, carrying their heavy load of snow. And by the looks of it, it was snowing already as they moved.

He was beginning to think this occasion called for hot chocolate in bed.

So he walked past Roy who was laughing heartily at something Al had said, and trotted down the stairs with a smiling shake of his head. He did hope Roy hadn't lost his touch with dates, having spent so much time avoiding them because he'd fallen in love with someone he could yet get to. But the man had been such a player he doubted it was a skill that went away.

He went into the kitchen and began to make the hot chocolate. Yes, it involved cream. Yes, it involved milk. But neither of them were plain, so he could handle it. Besides, he was not about to give up most foods because they had dairy in them. It was surprising just how many things had some sort of milk product in them, and he was not keen on starving anytime soon. Or giving up cake.

Once the mixture was steaming away merrily he poured some into two mugs and made his way out of the kitchen. He bore them carefully up the stairs so they wouldn't splash on his hands and cause damage of a sort to either the metal or the skin. At the top of the stairwell he saw Roy was still talking to Alphonse, but it appeared by the sound of Roy's end of the conversation, that they'd moved on to chatting about things besides Al's impending date.

"Roy," Edward said as he paused in front of the man, "I made us hot chocolate. And now I'm going to go get in our bed where I may or may not be naked."

Roy nearly lost his grip on the phone, and had to fumble with it while at the same time trying not to drool as he watched Edward disappear through the bedroom door… which was left wide open and inviting.

"_Roy?_"

Roy shook himself mentally. "Sorry, your brother distracted me."

Al's voice laughed as he said, "_say no more. I'll call and tell you how it went. Have fun._"

"There's a very good chance of that." Roy replied. "Bye, Alphonse."

"_Bye._"

Roy hung up the phone, and lost absolutely no time in rushing into the bedroom. He didn't even spare a thought as to how it must have looked. Neither person in the house cared. Their cares were lent to far more current happenings.


	23. Chapter 23

Koorii: It very much depends on Roy. He's either going to get Al beat up with a rolling pin, or get him a second date.

Gaara: Yay, cake! You are forgiven.

anmb: More cake! And that star is too cute for his own good XD. He's driving Roy positively nuts.

Koneko: Roy won't know what hit him when he sees a cute adorable little foal. He just hits me as a sucker for baby animals.

Mary: Just chocolate milk then? I know what you mean about it being hot.

GreedxEd: What do you think? Was Ed naked? XD

B.D.: Suggestive sexiness is probably some of the sexiest stuff out there. Leaves the imagination very open... and it runs away with you... darn it.

E: I think they'd never go inside if I let them snowball fight. The children.

Lizche: Thank you very much.

ferret: I'm with you on that one.

Shawn: Much better, I finally have it back again. I'm glad you love star Ed so much, he makes me laugh too.

Embers: It does sound good, but is he running for the hot chocolate or the possibly naked Ed? XD

Metamorcy: Thank you, I'm so glad that you do.

mrawgirl: Thailand huh? How was the food since the internet sucked?

moonstone: Impending evil? From me? Now why ever would you think that... hehehe

Moonlit Water: You found it on your own it looks like.

Masque: ...I would have loved to see that. You didn't happen to read my Ed pole dancing thing, did you? Just wondering if that's what spurred that little yummy tidbit. And thank you, I will try to keep it good.

* * *

Let's see... other updates besides this. I'll start with stories.

Fallen is updated to chapter twelve currently. Possibly thirteen by tonight. Ransom My Heart, the new Greed/Ed naughty rating fic I'm writing for my "wife" is on chapter five in case any of the Greed/Ed lurkers out there haven't heard yet. And for those of you who haven't been stalking my LJ, I wrote some Raymond/Roy because its just too darn sexy for its own good, and it's one of my secret desires.

I'm nearly done compiling a list of voting options and summaries for the next story to go up after Circa. I'm not saying Circa is nearly done, more of at the half-way mark. But I'm working on that already.

I got my laptop back, and am currently trying to get myself back into the routine of daily updates. Please have some sympathy as I've been off routine for three months and I'm struggling to discipline myself again. Other than that... nothing important I don't believe.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three

"What are you doing?" Roy asked with a frown as he stepped through the thrown-open doors of the ballroom that he'd always seen dark and although dust-free, unused. Now the room was bathed in soft light from chandeliers he'd believed weren't even connected to the electricity of the chateau.

Edward looked over with a bit of a smirk, and continued sliding one foot around in an arc, taking another step, and repeating the motion. "Seeing how the footing is. It could use a new coat of finish. But it's not completely a lost cause."

Roy's frown did not vanish, but his lips pressed together as he tried to decide whether or not he was amused, or whether he should be scared. "Dare I even ask why?" He finally ventured.

"Remember how I told you a while ago that I was going to be teaching you some things that I either didn't want to ruin the surprise right off, or at least be able to live for a few days longer?" Edward reminded him, stopping what he was doing in order to turn towards Roy with a smile that certainly didn't bode well for said man.

Roy nodded, "it was after I got my first idea of how annoying Fane would become."

"Right." Ed said and sidled over to him trying not to appear as if he were up to anything. "This is one of those things."

Roy arched an eyebrow, and was intelligent enough to be wary of why Edward was slipping closer. Knowing the blonde, it was either to be able to knock him off his feet and restrain him before he could try and strangle the blonde, or to knock him off his feet and distract him until he forgot about it. He was rather hoping it would be the later, though he wasn't sure yet just _how_ he'd react. "Fullmetal." He said warningly.

Edward beamed up at him. "Flame?"

"You're up to something, what is it?" Roy asked, grabbing Edward by the arms to keep him back at arm's length and supposedly some safety.

"Look around, Flame." Edward answered, and jerked his head to indicate the room. "Where are we? And why would I be checking out the floor?"

Roy did as Edward had said, and looked around. Right before he gave the blonde a look of disbelief mixed with horror. "You are not."

"I am." Ed laughed.

"I won't!" Roy protested, though he still did not try to run yet.

"You will!" Edward laughed again and grinned at Roy. "In case you haven't noticed, you're like… sex on legs."

Roy tried not to react to _that_ statement.

"And you can't always manage to ditch the ladies at the parties if they ask to dance. Alice is different." And at the look of reined in amusement on Roy's face, smirked. "And they will want to. Can't say I blame them either. And as jealous as it will make me, at least I get you for all the other parts."

"I'm sex on legs?" Roy repeated with a taunting grin.

"Mmm." Edward considered with a sweep of his eyes up and down his lover. "Quite deliciously so. And now we must teach you how to not break toes."

Roy gave Ed a reproachful look. "Is is even possible for _you_ to be graceful?"

"As a hippo." Edward agreed with a roll of his eyes.

"What's a hippo?" Roy asked curiously.

"A lot like a swan."

Roy seemed pleased with that answer, and gave the blonde a mournful look. "I don't have a choice, do I." He realized glumly.

Edward smirked, "not really, no." He admitted with a nod of his head. "Come on. It's easy, trust me. All in the hips and the butt. Both of which you're already very accustomed to using in another sort of dance."

"I'd liken it more to a wild orgy, than a dance." Roy disagreed, but allowed Ed to lead him forward. "So does this mean you're going to be my pretty little lady?"

Ed glared at him. "Say that again and we'll see who's sleeping on the library couch tonight."

"Well?" Roy pressed pointedly with a smirk.

Ed was feeling just a bit bitter, and he scowled at Roy who was still very much amused. "Yes, I have to be the girl. Otherwise you're not going to learn to do this right."

Roy smiled, and took Ed's hand in his smoothly. "Look at it this way," he drawled and his other hand took hold of Ed's waist, "you're the perfect height to be the girl."

In a matter of a second, Edward had successfully gotten Roy into a headlock and flipped him over. Now he was standing with his boot over Roy's chest and looking down at him. "What was that?" He asked in a simpering tone.

"You didn't punch me?" Roy asked up at him, not even short of breath.

Ed smirked, "just because I can, doesn't mean I should. Not until I know that punching you like I used to wouldn't break you in half. You're still skin and bones."

Roy, despite feeling rather touched, still felt self-conscious a bit about his weight. Or lack of it. "It's not as bad, thanks to your cooking. It's phenomenal."

Wagging a finger down at Roy, Edward tsk-ed at him a few times. "The time for flattery has passed. Now you have to start begging for me to show mercy."

"Oh, please, great Fullmetal," Roy swung one leg up to knock into Ed's knee, throwing the blonde off balance, "let me up." He finished, and sat up to smirk at Edward who had landed hard on his rear.

Ed glowered at him, before laughing to himself. "I just had to fall in love with you." He teased as he got to his feet again and offered down a hand to help Roy up.

Roy grasped it, "as if there were any other options. Either you snag myself, otherwise known as sex on legs, or you snag… oh I don't know… Breda."

Edward snickered, "how did you know I had a thing for beer-bellies?"

"Wild guess."

Ed smiled and pressed a finger to Roy's lips. "But you… you have more than one thing I can't resist."

Roy smirked around Ed's finger, and he took Ed's hand in his again. "Care to name them?" He asked in a seductive purr as he brushed a kiss against the palm of Ed's hand.

"Give me a reason to." Edward replied back sweetly, laying his other hand on Roy's shoulder. "And that, my love, will require you to actually participate in today's little learning activity."

Roy sighed, he knew when it was pointless to try and argue with Ed. The man had been stubborn ever since he'd first met him when the man was a child. Nothing had changed. And he supposed he could appreciate Edward's reasoning for the need to learn how to dance. He had gotten lucky that only Alice had dared approach him that night. But he knew that such a convenience very well could rub off as more women decided to be braver about a face they'd once held such hate towards. "Good thing you don't have any feeling in one foot." He muttered as he took Edward by the waist once more with his other hand.

Edward chuckled, "still, try hard not to flamenco stomp the hell out of me." He appealed. "Now remember, all in the hips and the butt. Start with _that,_" he stomped on Roy's left foot, "foot." And he smirked as he was dragged along during Roy's initial hop of minor pain.

"Ed!" Roy berated his snickering dance partner.

Edward blinked up at him innocently. "I'm waiting."

"I bet you are." Roy grumbled, and attempted to start off smoother this time.

Ed hummed innocently, nudging Roy's feet along into the proper positions as he let himself be led along again. And this time it was smoother, though only because Roy wasn't hopping. "I can't believe you never learned how to dance. Aren't Fuhrers supposed to know this sort of thing?"

Roy glowered at him. "Why are you asking me something like that? You knew I didn't know how to dance or you wouldn't be teaching me now. You're just trying to be a brat."

Ed chuckled, and nudged another foot. "I am a brat. I'm your brat. Do you love me?"

"You know I do." Roy replied fondly, and tried to resist the urge to nudge Ed's foot back.

After several minutes Ed finally decided that Roy at least had his footwork down, and he stepped closer so that they were nearly touching. "Now start again, just with the basics, but for goodness sake don't forget to use those hips."

"Oh I'll use my hips." Roy assured him quite adamantly.

Edward caught the gleam in Roy's eyes, and gave him a warning look. "Not like that. We're dancing, not vertically going at it like rabbits."

"But we could be." Roy suggested with a smirk and pulled Ed closer until they were up against each other.

Ed smirked back up, and instead of letting Roy succeed in having a real kiss, he turned his head aside just in time for Roy to plant that kiss on his cheek. Chuckling at Roy's groan, he pulled back the amount Roy had brought him closer. "You're going to be incorrigible to teach a tango to." He muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Roy's good eye winked at him. "Now that is a dance I'll willingly learn with you."

"But can you control yourself?" Ed pointed out.

Roy nodded slightly, "I controlled myself around you before. I can do so again."

Edward grunted and tried not to smile. "We'll see. But I'm not going to even try to teach you how to tango if you can't learn a basic waltz."

"Who taught you how to dance?" Roy asked as he begrudgingly began to obey Ed's silent request that they begin.

"The gypsies first. And then when I lived in Germany the Gracia of this world would teach my roommate and I when she wasn't running her flower shop."

"How many of those reflections have you found?" Roy was more curious now than ever about these mirror images of people they'd known from their own world. His snooping into Raymond's letter had opened up an interest that he wasn't sure he'd have gained otherwise.

Ed thought about it for a moment, still wordlessly guiding Roy along when the man would falter. "It's easier to count which ones I haven't found."

"And?"

"Mostly homunculi. Wrath, Gluttony, a few others."

"Anyone from the old team besides Riza? Or Kimblee or Archer?"

Edward laughed at the unknown joke, and shook his head. "You don't even want to know what Breda and Fuery are doing in this world. Trust me. I haven't run across Havoc or Falman. Kimblee is in prison in Morocco. And Archer owns a beachside hotel somewhere on Saint Croix, which is an island."

"Archer is living on a beach?" Roy wasn't quite too sure what to make of that.

Ed nodded as he laughed again just a bit. "He's in league with the drug transporters though, so he's not as clean as he sounds. And he somehow still can't get a tan."

"How do you know all this stuff, did you search for them?" Roy asked as he tried to wrap his mind around the new Archer.

"I either stumbled across them on one of my travels, or somehow they find me. It works out strange, but if you wait long enough, everyone does appear again." And a frown shadowed his face. "Sometimes they never turn out the way you expect."

Roy nodded knowingly. "You can't really ever know just what someone will do, or why." He said as he thought back on what he knew know. What he felt would be best left unsaid as Edward hadn't wanted to discover it on his own. "People can surprise you."

"Or disappoint." Ed murmured under his breath, not really sure, or caring if Roy heard him or not.

Deciding it was time to change the subject and take the blonde's mind off the fabricated lie Raymond had lived that still affected Ed, though admittedly it was affecting him less since the night they'd laid their feelings out in the open, Roy gave Ed a quick spin and smiled at the yelp of surprise. "Don't fall asleep now. You fall asleep and I'm dropping you on your ass."

Edward glowered at him and smacked his shoulder. "Very well, if you want to start getting fancy, let's."

Roy groaned, but really had no choice but to put Ed through a series of spins until he felt certain the blonde had to be dizzy beyond belief. _He_ certainly was just watching Ed spin. But he was starting to get the feel for this dancing thing. Even though he'd be damned if he let himself get snared into too much dancing with fawning women. Although Ed's retribution later that evening for such a thing would certainly be enjoyable, the speed bump to get there was not something to look forward to.

"Okay." Ed grinned, and planted his feet to bring them to a halt. "Maybe you aren't completely hopeless."

"Tango?" Roy almost pleaded. Desperate to basically screw Ed around the dance floor while still standing and being clothed.

Edward smirked, and planted a quick peck of a kiss on Roy's cheek. "Not today. If tomorrow I think you've earned it, I'll teach you one of the sexier dances."

Roy groaned his disappointment, and blinked in surprise as Ed pulled away. "So what are we doing now then?"

"You are staying here." Ed said, not sounding too excited about it. "I have to go in to work for a few hours to tie up some more loose ends regarding you."

Roy nodded, knowing better than to ask why he couldn't come. Ed wouldn't ban him from going unless there was a good reason for it. "So can I slide down the banister while you're out?"

"As much as you want." Ed grinned, "just don't hurt yourself. I'll be back a little after lunch, so don't wait for me."

"Hey," Roy called after him, "did you check that horse of yours?"

"She'll be fine." Ed reassured him with a pat to his arm. "I don't expect her to foal today. She's not showing the signs."

Roy sincerely hoped not.

"Bye." Ed smiled and walked back to give Roy a quick hug and a lingering kiss that he reluctantly pulled away from. "Don't get into trouble while I'm gone."

Roy scoffed in disappointment. "Oh fine, ruin my plans to have a massive party."

"If I must." Edward chuckled and they began to make their way out of the ballroom.

**Gates of Glass Rose Chateau**

"This is highly undignified!"

"Like you've got a choice?"

Alice scowled at Fane as she pressed into the snow-dusted cypress and the shadows. It had snowed the previous night, and the sky was still overcast and ominous. "How was I supposed to know that three days after Edward turned down my father's offer to come over for my birthday party that Roy would show up? I should have just addressed a letter to Roy!"

Fane snorted in merriment at the idea, his breath fogging in the chilled air. "We went through this, but by all means, do so. I doubt Edward lets Roy check the mail. None of it would be for him. And I doubt Roy would ever get the invitation."

"So I'm reduced to sneaking in." Alice deadpanned in dull enthusiasm at her situation.

"Hey," Fane glared at her, "don't complain. I'm the one going through all the trouble right now. You've not had to do that much. Except get repeatedly turned down. Must be exhausting I'm sure."

Alice glared back his way. "Just wait until I get what I want, I'm going to have you arrested and shipped back to your pathetic country."

"I'm counting on it Lady Alice." Fane smirked and swept her a bow. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an Edward Elric to detain at work."

Alice sneered after the man as he walked away to get into his car and drive off, leaving her alone and hiding in the snowy trees like a common thief. Oh Fane would pay. But if it got her Roy, and a life without Fane in it, she was willing to stoop to hiding in the cypress.

She waited, pressing herself deeper into the trees, and shivered as snow seeped even deeper into her clothes, as she heard the gates of the chateau clank open, shortly followed by the rumble of the car and the crunch of the tires over the white powder as it eased out onto the road. She watched, holding her breath nervously as Edward got out to close and relock the gates. She only breathed easily again once he was back in his car and driving off.

Prying herself free she plucked leaves from her hair looking less than amused, and walked over to the gates. Frowning at them, meaning them all the ill in the world, she knew she wouldn't be able to climb over easily. But she had no choice. Grabbing onto the vertical bars she began to climb. Her feet scrambled for traction on the slick, freezing, and icy metal, and her hands slid down more often than they pulled her up. Muffled shrieks and pants for air accompanied her as she repeatedly fought to gain ground on the gate that was turning her fingers blue and stiff.

Somehow, she managed to grab hold of the top, and heave herself up.

Only to fall over onto the other side in a tangle of limbs and a yelp of pain as she came down hard onto the driveway. "Damnit." She whimpered as she carefully disentangled herself.

Getting up she brushed snow and dirt off her clothes, trying to put on an air of dignity, before she began to hurry up the driveway towards the front door. She did not want to be caught out here by that llama who miraculously seemed to be missing.

"Roy, today is the day you fall in love with me." Alice said confidently to herself as she hurried forward.


	24. Chapter 24

Masque: That makes me feel very good. Thanks

Mary: Yes... tango... is that not the sexiest word?

Bar-Ohki: Isn't he always?

Koorii: Isn't Alice such a fun little thing? She makes the rest of us women want to knock our heads against the wall... or her head.

B.D.: Llama drama is one of the funnest things ever!

Shawn: They're so cute together aren't they? -snicker-

moonstone: Yes, Alice rather pales in comparison to a certain Elric that Roy can have whenever he wants.

GreedxEd: I don't think Alice would think Ima is hot, but she doesn't really get a choice.

Paon: Some people just never get the hint. Sadly.

ferret: Yes, but you must draw straws for the privelege of killing her. Nitro wants a go as well.

Choas: That's fine, I'm just glad you managed to come around that time.

Lamia: It'll be a good way to keep them warm this winter with all the snow. Dance the tango.

mutant: I think Roy could be skin and bones or have a beer belly and he'd be hot.

Embers: I think Nitro needs entrance theme music.

xwhitex: Alice is going to be... Alice. She is her own definition.

E: Yes, you are an LJ stalker. I should punish you with duct tape.

mrawgirl: That's all the encouragement that llama needs to start up a spitting habit. Poor Ed would never break him of it.

* * *

Oh thank goodness it's finally Friday... took long enough. I think this calls for chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four

**Glass Rose Chateau**

Roy was about to slide down the banister just for the hell of it, when a strange noise caught his ear. Frowning, he focused on it, trying to figure out what it was. It sounded almost like a banshee had gotten loose somewhere nearby the chateau. His first thought was that the horse in the garage was either in pain or panic, or closer to foaling than Edward believed. And that was a theory that left his face a shade paler than normal. It was the fact that the closer the sound came, the more human it sounded, that Roy rolled his eyes as he felt comforted by the realization of what it was.

Clearly, a reporter or some rubbish had snuck in after Ed had left. Edward had said he'd close the gates, so he was almost amused to figure out how the poor soul had managed to get in. Because said poor soul sounded as if they were now the intended victim of the chateau's resident security guard.

Completely unhurried about the matter, knowing that the four-legged fiend had things under control, Roy resumed his climb to the top of the stairs. Listening to the racket outside with half an ear he finished his climb and sat himself down on the banister. And with a childish smile he gave himself a push. It was hard not to act like a kid the whole way down, but it was probably one of the more enjoyable things to do when he was alone in the house.

Only when he reached the bottom and managed not to sway from the rush, did he idly make his way to the front door so he could check out the cause of the commotion. It still sounded as if Nitro hadn't managed to chase whoever it was into the electric fence. And he was hoping that if he made it on time, he'd get to see that happen.

Opening the door he let himself out, looking around curiously. He was now barefoot, so he was reluctant to go out into the dusting of snow until he actually needed to in order to watch the end result of Nitro's version of retribution. In fact, he only needed to wait a few more seconds before he finally spotted where whoever it was had chosen to try and last out a certain spotted llama.

The shrieks had stopped, and now that he looked to the left past the garage to one of the rowan trees, he could see that Nitro was trying to climb the tree in order to get to the dark figure who was trying to climb higher judging by the shaking of the branches.

Snickering, Roy ducked back inside in order to go find his boots again. On his way back by the door he grabbed a jacket from the coat closet and pulled it on. Quite unhurriedly he closed the front door behind him and began to stroll his way across the lawn towards where Nitro had treed the trespasser. He was beginning to truly believe that Ed was right about the llama. Better than a dog.

"Help me! Call it off!"

Roy could hear the pleas before he even got within half the distance. But by the time he was meters from Nitro, he could recognize the voice. And he broke out into almost silent laughter as he continued forward.

"Roy! Get that murdering flea bag away!" Alice shrieked as loudly as she could, while trying to keep her feet out of range of the snapping mouth of the llama who had planted his front hooves against the tree trunk and was trying eagerly to fasten his mouth around any available part he could get.

Roy looked up at her as he walked over to stand nearby Nitro, his arms wrapping around himself to try and stay warm. "Why?" He asked conversationally of the alarmed and treed woman.

Alice gaped at him, speechless for a moment before she found her tongue again. "Because I'm in a _tree_ and it will kill me if I get down!"

With a laugh, Roy shrugged. "You know you're trespassing. I should call the police."

It was her chance to gape at him again. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh I would." Roy informed her quite frankly. "And the newspaper Al works for while I'm at it. Some press coverage of this seems appropriate. Esteemed Lady Alice, stuck in a tree and scared of a llama."

"Everyone is scared of that llama!"

"I'm not." Roy said, and looked over at Nitro who was eyeing him as if asking if the human might give him a boost into the tree. "Shall I leave her to you?"

"Don't!" Alice yelped as she slipped and frantically tried to regain her balance. "Help me!" She shrieked as he legs began to dangle down and Nitro tried gleefully to chomp down on one.

Roy rolled his eyes, and stepped aside, knowing what was coming. "I see no reason to help you. I told you to leave Edward and I alone, you didn't listen. We're not nice people when it comes to amoebic life forms like you."

Alice didn't get a chance to respond.

Nitro had finally gotten his prize.

The llama had jumped up from his back legs, and his mouth closed around the legging of her pants. With a resounding rip, another high-pitched shriek, and a loud crash, Alice was pulled from the tree. And Nitro was ready and waiting for her to land as he fastened his teeth around the arm she'd tried to smack him away with. And he bit down, _hard_.

Roy watched uncaringly as Alice struggled to get away from the vice grip the llama's teeth had on her arm. Only when Alice somehow managed to pry herself away and get up to make a run for it did he start moving again. Only to follow behind Nitro as the llama gave chase with a gleeful sounding cry. He had a feeling that Alice's panic would have banished any sensibility _not_ to run towards the rear of the house. And he was hoping to finally get the show Edward had alluded to.

Whistling in a completely carefree manner Roy followed Nitro around the side of the garage and then the house. Just in time to see Alice meet nine thousand volts of electricity that ran through that thin wire fence. And to him, it was the most brilliant thing he'd ever seen.

Alice convulsed with yet another shriek and fell to the ground twitching while Nitro pranced over looking highly proud of himself. And the llama pranced around her twitching body, looking between her and Roy as if expecting praise.

And he got it. "Nicely done, Nitro." Roy laughed and patted the furry head, tugging on one of the ears as he walked over to observe the full effect.

Alice was laying practically unconscious on the ground, twitching at random, and a large purpling bruise on her right arm.

"Shame Ed had to miss this. But I have a feeling that he'll be having fun of his own." He said and put his hands on his hips to stare down at the woman. If his guess was correct, Fane was somehow behind this. And he knew where Fane would take whatever his end of this was. "Well, I suppose we can't just leave trash lying around in the yard." He sighed.

Nitro stood at his side, watching the woman as well while the human thought about what to do with her.

Roy looked between Alice, and Nitro, and sighed. "Well, come on, I'm going to need your help." He said as he bent down to begin the difficult task of picking Alice up. It was both a matter of his lack of strength, as well as the fact that Alice was heavier than Edward. A fact he found rather odd, as she wasn't half made from metal. But somehow he managed, which he was pleased with. It meant his strength was coming back.

Nitro, although not exactly too enthusiastic about this human's plan, stood quite solidly as Alice was dumped over his back like a sack of rocks.

Patting Nitro's head Roy clucked to him. "Come on then. If I recall correctly Edward said she lives next door, and he sent her horse off towards the left…" and he walked ahead of Nitro who dutifully followed along behind him. He didn't stop to wonder why Nitro was cooperative with him, but he had a feeling it was that same strange force that had compelled Jasper to help him when he'd needed to go after Edward.

When he reached the gates it only took him a moment and a stolen hairpin from Lady Alice to pick the lock. He might have been concerned for the simplicity of the heavy lock, but he wasn't. The lock was really only for show. There was something far more fearsome waiting beyond the gates for anyone who trespassed. As Alice had discovered today.

Grabbing onto the bars of the left side gate he threw his weight into it to move it aside enough for he and Nitro to slip through. "Make sure you do a thorough search when we get back." He told the llama, relocking the gates and pocketing the hairpin for later use so he could get back in.

After checking to see that they seemed to be alone, he tugged Nitro forward by a hold on the furry neck. Together the two of them plodded off down the side of the road, Alice's head bouncing and swaying along jerkily as it hung near the underbelly of the llama. Roy only looked back to be sure she wasn't slipping off, and each time smirked as he thought about how bad a headache she'd have upon finally waking.

"Finally," Roy huffed as they at long last reached the next set of gates. These ones were open and inviting. A quick peek inside the grounds showed a far larger estate than the one Edward owned. "Must be the right place." He muttered and tugged at Nitro again. "Come on, let's dump the trash and leave."

Roy kept a hand on Nitro as they walked up the drive side-by-side, their cargo still in tow. As he looked around he tried not to mind the staring eyes of the groundskeepers or the young boys leading around leggy and trim horses that pranced or shied away at the sight of the brown and white llama. Roy was starting to believe that Nitro had a reputation in the animal world.

They had reached the front steps which widened out to create a small patio area in front of the door, when the front door opened wide to send a panicked looking woman out of the house and down the steps.

"Nitro." Roy said warningly as the llama's ears began to twitch back.

Nitro glowered at him, but settled down.

"Oh my poor baby what happened to her?!" The woman cried aghast as she rushed over to squat down and tilt Alice's upside down face towards her.

Roy cleared his throat, and stepped to the other side to haul Alice off and deposit her none too gently on the ground. He heard the snickering of the employees who were watching, and couldn't help but agree more. Yet he tried to act a bit more professional than that while in public. "She trespassed, and ran into the electric fence."

The woman was already kneeling in the ground by Alice, slapping the fainted woman's cheeks. "Oh not again! She's making a complete fool of herself and this family."

Roy eyed her speculatively. "I'm very sorry, but who are you?"

"Oh, I do apologize," she said, looking up at him and extending her hand, "my name is Janet. I'm Alice's mother."

Roy took her hand and swept her a slight bow, smiling as he saw her cheeks turn the faintest bit of red. "Roy." He answered as he released her hand, not bothering to give his last name as she had not. "Anyway, she should be okay."

Janet had turned back to her daughter and appeared almost to groan. "I'm very sorry about her. I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble. If she did any damage I'll gladly pay for it."

Roy shook his head with a smile. "Don't be silly." Watching Alice run into that fence had been payment enough. But he tried not to smirk at the memory. "If you'll excuse me ma'am, I'll leave her to you."

Janet looked back up at him, her face almost desperate. "No, wait. Please."

"Yes?" Roy frowned, batting Nitro's head away as the llama tried to sniff his pockets.

Janet got up, dusting her knees off and looking towards the spectators with a glare. "At least work while you laugh." She growled at them, and motioned to two of the men. "Get her inside." She ordered abruptly.

Roy cringed inwardly, but kept his mouth shut. It was not his place to say how the woman should treat her staff.

"Sorry." Janet turned to him. "Lately Alice has been… well she's been…"

"You don't have to say it." Roy assured her.

"Listen, you didn't you know… call the press about it?" She asked, now looking truly desperate.

Roy shook his head, "no. Not this time. But next time I won't feel so generous. It was less trouble to bring her here than to deal with a press parade on my own. Now I really must go."

And before Janet could ask him to stay longer again, he tugged at one of Nitro's ears and began to quickly beat a retreat off the property. The llama followed along behind dutifully, making doubly sure no one tried to stop him. In fact, they were given a wide berth by the gathered spectators.

"Well, that was certainly one of the highlights to my day." Roy told Nitro frankly as they made it back out onto the road and headed back towards home.

**10 Downing Street – Prime Minister's Office**

Edward swept into the room still rummaging through the files he was carrying. Files which after a quick reorganization, he set onto Charles's desk with aplomb and a sigh. "I checked them all over, they did good work. And seriously, if that's not enough, I'm going to the next treaty meeting with you and being your ventriloquist."

Charles laughed good-naturedly as he picked up the files and began to flip through them. "No doubt with your cutting sense of getting the job done, you'd have ten world leaders in fear of you, and the rest wanting to steal you from me."

"Only doing my job." Edward said airily in dismissal.

"How did your meeting with the queen go? I heard from Thomas only the small details that you actually showed up when you were supposed to." Charles set the files down and cocked an eyebrow. "Did you mind your manners?"

Edward scowled at him and took a seat in front of his boss's desk. "You wouldn't be asking me that unless you heard from her that I didn't."

"Edward." Charles said in a tone very reminiscent of a certain Colonel Mustang of decades ago.

And Ed couldn't help but laugh shortly. "You sound like Mustang when you do that."

"Does it work?"

Edward laughed again, "he never thought so. But in answer to your question, I came away with exactly what I wanted."

"Roy not being detained?" Charles guessed.

"Yes." Edward agreed and gave the man a rather calm look, though his eyes were far from calm. "Titles are titles. People are people. I respect one more than the other, and it shouldn't take your credentials to figure out which one it is. I've known Roy practically my entire life, and I'm realizing that now with him here, I can start being myself again. There's something that I want to live for, Charles. And it isn't this job, or keeping the queen on my good side."

"Friends and not family?" Charles asked in confusion. "Shouldn't Alphonse mean more to you than Roy?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "You don't get it, do you. Just because you're not related to someone, doesn't mean that they're not family. Mine's finally complete."

Charles took a moment to consider, before nodding slowly and letting out a submissive sigh. "Very well, Edward. I only ask that if you decide to turn the world upside down, you do it in your own name."

Edward chuckled darkly, and stood. "God bless the queen."

Charles watched as Edward left the room, trying not to be too amused by the man's exiting words. They had more meaning than he thought he dared consider.

Edward was nearly back to the room where he shared office space with the other advisors when Thomas was suddenly at his side.

"Just fair warning, I couldn't stop him. I don't have the authority." Thomas said apologetically as they entered the larger room that was sectioned off by desks and cabinets.

"Stop who?" Edward asked with a frown.

Thomas grabbed his arm and nodded his head a miniscule amount towards the right where there was a door that led to the conference room the advisors used for meetings. "Fane Banciu is in there. He says he needs to speak with you about something urgent, but he won't say what. Should I have security on standby?"

Ed paused to look in that direction, and felt that sigh build inside of him. Just when he thought he'd be able to get away from work. "No. I can handle him if the need arises."

"You sure?" Thomas asked pointedly.

"Oh please, Brown," Edward rolled his eyes, "the man may be taller than me but I could punt his ass across the Atlantic without hardly putting any effort into it."

Thomas snorted, "fine. I was hoping we could avoid resorting to violence and an international scandal, but you're right. Your way is better."

"Of course it is. I'm the best." Edward said with an extravagant upward flair of his hands as he sauntered off purposefully towards the conference room.

"Can't we just test out mustard gas samples on him?" Another advisor called over.

Edward turned to walk backwards as he laughingly appeared to consider, but gave a shake of his head. "Problem is, that if he's the best Romania's got to send to us, I really would hate to meet the runner-up." And with that said, he turned back around to let himself into the room, closing the door on his co-workers snickering.

"So I was in the area and thought we could have a little heart-to-heart chat." Fane posed as Edward fixed a pointed look on him. "And then you could take me across the hall so that I can have a talk with the prime minister. Since I'm already here and all."

"Fane," Edward began as he took a seat across from the sallow man, "the last thing on this forsaken planet that I ever want to have, is a heart-to-heart chat with you."

"Oh." Fane flinched dramatically.

Far from being amused, Ed's golden eyes narrowed in that way that made Alphonse say it was as if he were a lion getting ready to wreak bloody mayhem. "We've gone over this before, and until I see results that have been undoctored, I will not be granting you any such privilege as to have a talk with my boss."

Fane tossed onto the table a thick manila envelope. "Latest reports from the country census."

"Oh, the census. That's always entirely accurate for matters such as this." Edward said stiffly as he tried not to snap. "Do you think I'm stupid? Are _you_ really that stupid?"

"You're stupid to think you can keep me from talking to him forever." Fane replied quite calmly. "You're not always going to be around to stop me."

Edward laughed and leaned back into his chair. "No. No I won't." He agreed whole heartedly. "But you forget that I'm not the only one who would stop you from getting near to him."

"Is that so?" Fane enquired idly.

"Ye-wait…" Edward suddenly cast a calculating look over the man. "What did you do?"

Fane looked back at him levelly. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You're being far too disinterested for far too long in something that I thought you had passion in." Edward said as he stood up sharply. "What-did-you-do." He demanded as his metal hand curled into a fist.

"We're all in this business to get what we want, Mister Elric." Fane answered with a smirk. "Some of us just choose to wait to reap our rewards after others have laced the field with salt."

Edward started for the door, only to be hindered as Fane quickly got up and stepped after him, reaching for his arm.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm done talking to you." Fane began.

Edward spun, grabbing the encroaching hand and jerking Fane forward only to fasten his automail hand around the other's neck and slamming Fane back roughly into the wall. The man connected hard, the pictures on the wall rattled, but Ed's grip was not relenting. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that I'm going to stand idly by while whatever scheme you and Lady Alice have going parades onto my doorstep without my being there."

"Bit protective of him, aren't you?" Fane sneered as he gasped for breath, his hands clutching at the one around his throat but failing to do anything against the steely grip. "What are you two hiding?"

"It's called having friends, Fane. I understand a slimy bastard like you doesn't have friends, but truly the concept isn't that hard to imagine." Edward growled, his fingers closing in tighter as he pushed Fane up the wall until the man could no longer touch the ground. "And while you're just hanging here for our little _heart-to-heart_, listen closely. I know what Lady Alice is up to, and you can tell her from me that she's made more bad impressions on Roy than she could ever amend for. And as for you, I don't know what you think you'll get out of this, but know this. I have diplomatic immunity in fourteen countries."

And with that, Edward released Fane and stepped aside as the man leaned against the wall gasping for breath and rubbing at his throat.

"You're definitely…" Fane panted, "hiding something."

Edward glared down at him. "You have no idea. Stay the hell out of our lives Fane, and you can tell your little co-conspirator that as well."

Turning on his heel Edward swept from the room bristling in unshed anger. He could care less that he'd physically assaulted an ambassador. In the broad spectrum of things, it didn't matter. Right now all that mattered to him was making sure that irritating whore hadn't caused too much trouble. The last thing he needed was her in his house again.

"Sir?" Thomas asked uncertainly as Edward stormed over to his desk, grabbing his jacket. "What was that noise? Where are you going?"

"If Fane wants ice, give it to him." Edward said as he pulled on his jacket. "I'm going home."

"Only took him a few decades to snap." One of the advisors remarked as they watched Edward hurry from the room.

"I'm surprised he's held off this long." Thomas sighed, but couldn't help his smile. "I'd have decked Fane one long before now if I were him."

Meanwhile Edward's car was squealing and smoking at the tires as it tore from the car park and onto the road that was fortunately clearing of the lunch-time traffic rush.


	25. Chapter 25

As most of the reactions were about the joys of Nitro and Ed getting their whoop-ass on, I shall agree with the masses en masse. ....look, I made a sort-of funny. Evidently the cold I'm suffering from is affecting me more than I thought. Hurrah for being sick, bring on the tlc provided by... myself.

Gaara, you gave me your cold. XP

Other story updates... Fallen is on Chapter Thirteen, Ransom is on Chapter Seven.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Five

Roy was only too glad to reach the front door again. It hadn't been a long walk, but it hadn't been one he'd wanted to take. However, truthfully he was almost glad that he'd been able to witness at last the true power of the electric fence and the llama that guarded this property. "You truly are a terror." He informed the llama who still was at his side.

Nitro sneezed in what Roy took to be agreement.

"Well, go on." Roy shooed the animal. "Make sure no one else hopped over the gate while we were gone." And he watched with amusement as the llama took off with enthusiasm to do a recon of the beings that were on the estate. Shaking his head with a smile he turned to open the front door and let himself inside. Shutting it behind him he locked it, just in case. Edward had keys after all. And Roy made a mental note to ask the blonde if he might not get his own set of keys for the chateau, just in case of the event that Alice turned out to be dumber than he believed.

"Now let's see…" Roy thought aloud as he looked around, what to do next. With a slight cough he pulled off his jacket and boots before heading back upstairs. The piano was calling him, and it would certainly entertain him until Edward returned.

Meanwhile Edward was just pulling up to the gates of his home, and got out to unlock them. Yet he was distracted as another car that had been on the road behind him slowed and then stopped, the window rolling down.

"Mister Elric!"

Edward turned, and smiled as he saw who it was. "Don't even tell me, it's about your daughter?"

"My wife called me at work. Apparently she ran into your electric fence?"

Edward's eyes widened, and it took a valiant effort not to burst out laughing on the spot. Walking over to the car he raised his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. "I'm afraid I was at work until just recently. I haven't heard anything."

The man in the car, clearly the father of the local troublemaker, groaned. "Janet told me that your guest brought her over afterwards."

Edward blinked, and then smiled. It sounded like something Roy would do, even if neither of them had any love for Alice. Roy wasn't someone to just shirk a duty, even if it was unspoken. "Well, you appear to know more than I do, sir. I'll speak with Roy and see what happened."

"Just let me know if she caused any damage to the fence."

"George," Ed spoke up as the man made to roll up his window, "there are other things to worry about besides my fence." He said with a serious look.

George nodded, his eyes troubled. "You're lucky you don't have children, Mister Elric. You don't have to consider sending them to a convent in the middle of the French Alps."

"Are you sure the whole of France isn't a convent and a monastery?" Edward asked jokingly, and gave the man a wave. "Good luck."

Ed resumed opening the gates as the other car drove off in a spray of dirt and gravel. He left the gates open, and parked the car before greeting Nitro with an affectionate pat. "Did you chase that idiotic woman into the fence?" He chided jokingly as he tugged the llama's ears side to side. "You're a good llama." He said and patted Nitro's neck affectionately.

But he hurried up to the door, letting himself in. Even if Alice wasn't still here, he was curious to know what had happened. As well as more than a little jealous of several things. Pulling off his coat and boots he almost ran up the stairs where he could hear piano music floating down from the library. Reaching the door, he leaned against the frame to catch his breath as he smiled. Roy looked absolutely at peace, and the music, as always, took his breath away.

After a while Roy noticed the figure by the door, and he stopped his playing to look up and smiled as he laid eyes on the blonde. "I missed you."

Happily, Edward walked over and as Roy stood up he threw his arms around the man in a tight hug. "I couldn't stand the thought that you might be alone with Alice." He said as he clung to Roy possessively, relaxing against him.

Roy put his arms around Ed as he quietly laughed. "You're not worried I'd let her have what she wants, are you? I love you more than anything."

"It's her I worry about, not you." Edward muttered as he snuggled up closer. "The thought of her being alone with you, trying to touch you-"

"Why, Ed," Roy interrupted teasingly, "are you jealous?" He asked as he began to run his fingers through the blonde hair tickling his nose.

"You have no idea just how very jealous I am." Edward admitted and lifted his head so he could look up at Roy. "I don't think I could stand it if anyone else touched you the way I do."

Roy grinned down at him. "For arguments sake, what would you do if someone did? Say… if Alice managed to hug me?" And then he was stumbling backwards, his back connecting with the side of the piano as he kissed Edward back just as forcefully.

Edward pulled away, panting, his tongue licking at his lips as he glared up at Roy. "You're cruel suggesting such a thing."

Roy grinned, trying not to pay too much attention to what Edward's hands were doing. "I think I'm going to like you being jealous if this is what it does to you."

"Oh I'm not even started yet." Edward informed him as he succeeded in removing Roy's shirt where it was discarded somewhere on or near the piano-he didn't quite care. "You want to know what I'd do?"

Roy could only manage to nod as he bit down on the groan that wanted to escape him as Edward began kissing the skin he'd just exposed.

"I'd make sure there's no doubt in your mind just why I'm the one you love." Edward said as he pulled away, smirking at Roy's expression. "Shall I show you how?"

"Absolutely." Roy agreed quickly, and lost no time in letting Edward yank him out of the library.

Later, after Edward had cleared any possibly doubts from Roy's mind, the two lay in their bed together curled around one another in contentment. One of Roy's hands was lazily running fingers through Ed's hair, the other was slowly rubbing up and down the blonde's back.

Suddenly Roy started to quietly laugh. "So that was supposed to make me want to not make you jealous?"

"Shut up." Edward yawned and tucked his head up under Roy's chin. "I can't help it if I'm possessive about you. Do you know how hard it was to keep silent up until now? All those women you had in Amestris, and men… I was so jealous. Even before I knew why I was jealous. I think that's why I tried to stay away so long each time you'd send me away. It hurt less not being witness to it every day."

Roy bent his head to kiss Ed's hair. "I'm sorry my love."

"Don't be." Ed murmured and shifted a tiny bit as one of his legs was falling asleep. "Maybe it's for the best things happened as they did."

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Roy asked, still petting the man in his arms lovingly.

"I have to clean the house?" Edward proposed.

Roy groaned. "Something less boring?"

Edward sat up and smirked down at the unenthusiastic face of _his_ Roy. "Then I guess you'll have to follow me and find out what's behind door number two."

**Toronto**

The hours leading up to seven that night, the hour he was expected to arrive to pick up Marta for their dinner together, Alphonse had been waging war on his nerves. He supposed this was normal, to panic a bit. After all, he wanted desperately to not make a completely ass out of himself. Something common sense assured him he'd have to try very hard to accomplish. Especially now that he was armed with tried and true knowledge from a certain Roy Mustang.

In the broader picture, perhaps initially asking Roy for advice might not have sounded like a good idea. Considering that he knew the man more for… well more for having a lot of one night stands. But he hadn't asked Roy for general advice, or advice on how to get someone into his bed. He'd asked Roy, quite simply, that if he were Roy and Marta were Ed, how exactly would he go about not making a fool of himself.

And in that conversation, he not only was given some very good advice beyond "just be yourself". But he'd been given the reassurance that Roy truly did love his brother. In that knowledge, he couldn't help but feel relieved and happy for the both of them. They needed each other, they always had.

Now, Al stood outside the door of Marta's home. He knew it was the correct one, he'd double-checked out of pure nervousness. So taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, while wondering why it was that he could engage without worry in life or death battle but get nervous about a girl, and he rapped on the door with one hand. Turning he walked back a few steps and turned again to face the door, make sure his clothes were all accounted for, and wait.

Then the lock was turning, and the door opened. "Seven on the dot, are all Englishmen so prompt?" Marta teased as she stepped outside, keys and purse in hand.

Al smiled, more of his nerves disappearing. He'd done the first thing perfectly-be on time. "Amestrians are." He replied easily.

Marta tilted her head as she searched for where on Earth such a people came from. But she didn't question it as she locked the door behind her, figuring it was probably a British thing. "So, where are we headed? Or is it still a secret?"

Alphonse chuckled and offered her his arm. "Not too far, don't worry. And before I get too carried away with trying to remember not to gravely offend you somehow, you look very nice tonight. New apron?"

Marta laughed and spun around as if admiring her new "apron", and took the offered arm with a smirk. "No, just washed and pressed it. How kind of you to notice."

"I always was the observant type." Al nodded somberly, but smiled as he looked her over again. "But really, I like the dress."

Marta grinned, far from being anything but amused. "Thanks, you look good too." She informed him. Even if this wasn't officially a date, she still couldn't help but feel strangely at ease around Al. And things that he said that normally she might hit someone for so early into knowing each other, she found that she couldn't help but be amused by. She couldn't seem to help a lot of things around this particular man.

"So, I hope you're hungry." Al said as they walked. "I spent a lot of time in countries where dinner isn't something you can accomplish in an hour, even with only ordering a light salad."

"Then I'll know all your secrets by the time we've moved on to dessert." Marta replied easily.

Alphonse laughed richly at that. Oh, if only she'd believe even half of his secrets. But as things were, maybe she'd settle for his fabricated past bolstered by the part of him that was free of alchemy and his true home. "Are you thinking of becoming a reporter after all?"

She shuddered at the notion. "No thanks. Give me flour and yeast and I'm perfectly happy. I can do without prying into people's lives, no offense."

"None taken." Al assured her. "Believe me, by now I've experienced the spectrum of opinions on what I do."

"So what are you here reporting on anyway?" Marta asked, finding that she couldn't recall that Al had ever mentioned.

"Some new device an electronics company is developing. Bit of a secret still, not that I think it qualifies as anything special. But apparently it's going to revolutionize the media and how we watch it." Al said as vaguely as possible.

Marta frowned at his answer, "so if you don't think it's special, why are you writing the story? Aren't you supposed to have passion for what you do?"

"The things I care about and have passion for are far different than what the majority of the people occupying this planet do. At the risk of sounding like a stuck-up prude," Al told her with a tilt of his head, "they're losing sight of what matters most."

Marta pursed her lips as she considered. "You have a point there I suppose. But you can hardly be a successful reporter if all you cover are the stories that people take for granted but never believe happen. Like good deeds."

Al nodded, "I subject myself to the embarrassment of playing to what people might consider their immediate needs in order to earn that lovely vacation time and money that I use to go report on what actually matters."

"And what does matter? To you, most of all."

"Life." Al answered simply, and turned to her with a far-off smile. "I've known death far too often, been near to it myself too many times. Life matters to me, and if I can report on people living life, or their want to live life for themselves, then I'm okay with saying that half of the year I cater to the selfish whims of others ideas of what is relevant in the world."

Marta smiled at him, "you're one of the sensitive guys."

Al laughed, and nodded in agreement. "My brother stole all the genetics for being a jerk when the occasion calls for it. He gets fast cars and guns, I get roses and a tool box."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Marta began, "a gun wouldn't have fixed my bread slicer."

And oddly, it did make him feel better, even though he'd had no issues with who he was. Or who he saw himself to be.

When they arrived at the small restaurant they were taken immediately to their seats. There was hardly ever a wait for the restaurants listed in his and his brother's personal guide books of all the truly good places to eat. Not the ones that were ridiculously overrated. However not having been to Toronto before, Al had been required to research who owned what in the area and make his choice that way.

"I really am glad you came," Al told her as they sat down and waited to be served. "It's just been me and myself for a long time. It's nice to have someone to have dinner with."

"Of course." Marta smiled at him. "I'm kind of the same way. And you're… different. In an interesting way."

Al laughed, "well thanks for that assessment."

"It's one of the better ones I commonly give men who take me out for dinner. Even if it is just dinner."

Alphonse looked away from her with a slight smile. "I can at least guarantee you that none of them are as different as I am"

Marta smirked at him, "I can only agree with that."

Their conversation was put on hold as the waiter came over, and Alphonse, coached by Roy, ordered the wine without so much as a lapse in the self-assured air he was keeping up. And just as smoothly he turned from the waiter who hustled away and back to Marta.

"And you know your wines." She observed with a slight nod of her head. "Most guys who've taken me out anywhere are at a complete loss."

"If most guys were like me, I'd pity all their brothers." Alphonse admitted wryly.

"And why is that?" Marta laughed.

Al grinned at her, "because I know how much I terrorized mine. Yet he never actually went through with that threat to kill me." And he shook his head a bit. "Enough about me for a while, I'm more boring than a dictionary yet I could still go on for a thousand pages."

"I don't know about that." Marta disagreed with a smile. "Well let's see… what on earth could you possibly want to know about me…"

"The one thing you think no one would care about knowing." Al provided.

Marta paused, her eyes sliding over Al in thoughtful contemplation. After a moment she slowly nodded. "I've always wanted to move to Greece, set up a bakery there. Maybe someplace on the water."

Al's head tilted in confusion. "No one would care about your dream?"

"More of a fantasy." Marta smiled, but shrugged. "My family would just tell me to do it, whatever makes me happy. But things aren't always so easy to pick up and leave behind."

Alphonse nodded just slightly. "It never is until you finally decide for yourself that there's something more waiting for you on the other side. No matter how different, or hard it will be to adjust, whatever it is is worth a small sacrifice for the end reward. So why Greece? It's not the lure of wine orgies is it?"

Marta tried not to laugh, and only partly succeeded in that venture. "No, it's not. But I wouldn't be impartial I suppose if the occasion presented itself. No, I like the history of the country."

"Which includes wine orgies." Al pointed out.

She again tried not to laugh. "The Greeks knew a thing or two about how to have a good time."

"And what do Canadians do to have a good time?" Al asked, "besides eat poutine until they're set to have a heart attack while swimming Lake Erie in the middle of December?"

"That's about all." Marta informed him gravely. "Though secretly we sometimes kill off fawns in spring to try and prevent blizzards the next winter."

"How utterly morbid."

"We also like to offend the delicate sensibilities of Englishmen."

"Are you sure there's a border between Canada and the United States?" Al chuckled, "you lot seem to think exactly the same about the poor British nationals."

"Just those select few of us." Marta corrected. "And what exactly is it that you do to have a good time?"

Al smiled faintly. "Spin gold thread from straw."

Their wine arrived, and they placed their orders, Marta taking Al's lead in this and not ordering a single course less than he did. Apparently there was a reason for it. And when the first course came, she realized it was to do with more than just the size of the portion.

The wait in between courses was rather more drawn out than she was used to. But she barely even noticed the time spent between slowly eating one course and moving on to the next one. She was too deeply involved in just talking about the most random seeming things with Alphonse. But it was quite probably the best dinner and conversation she'd had in a long time.

And it could also have been the bottle of wine that they had very nearly emptied of its contents.

"Where'd you learn to hold your liquor so well?" Marta asked as she swilled the contents of her wine glass idly.

"Gypsies, followed by a two month stay at a Russian military outpost." Al filled her in with a thoughtful smile. "Learned a lot in those times. And those Russians know how to drink. Germans too, but those Russians especially."

Marta looked him over, "you're not that old. I mean, middle-aged, but you sound as if you've done quite a lot for a reporter."

"I took a chance for a different life, and that was the path that put me where I am now." Al shrugged. "Years say I'm still in my prime, mileage says I'm due to retire."

By the time they had finished all the dinner courses, as well as the dessert, and Al had taken care of the check, it was well after ten at night. But really, it hadn't felt as if it had taken that long at all.

"Here." Al said as they exited the restaurant to begin walking back to Marta's place, and he held out his jacket to her. "Don't want you to be cold."

Marta was about to argue that Al would get cold, but didn't. Instead she bit back her words and took the jacket that he'd worn over his dress shirt. Pulling it on she smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Alphonse smiled, and was about to offer her his arm again when she made it clear she had other ideas, and suddenly his hand was being held. Looking over at her curiously, he said nothing though it was difficult to hold back the questions. As well as the emotions.

Marta didn't speak for nearly a block, before finally she stopped trying to figure out a way to ask it. "That person who reminds you of me, what's their story?"

Al looked towards the stars briefly as he took a settling breath. "Do you ask because you wondered if we'd ever met before?"

"Partly." Marta admitted as she looked his way.

"I forget how old I was, I was still barely a teenager." Al began as he sorted through the painful memories to try and mold them into something acceptable. "I was basically kidnapped by this person, but it wasn't really anyone's intention to kidnap or be kidnapped. I mostly went along with it, tried to help her. Tried to protect her. And then one day I failed to do that one simple thing. Guard a life, I hold life sacred, and I couldn't do anything to help her. I just stood there in fear as she died."

Marta was silent for some time before she replied. "Was there anything you could have done?"

Al laughed almost bitterly, and shook his head. "My hands were metaphorically tied. If I would have tried to stop him, I would have been killed myself. As might have my brother… possibly even Roy. It was the worst sacrifice I'd ever had to make. And there was a time when I thought I'd already made the biggest sacrifice. Lost all I could ever lose. You always get proven wrong."

"And this girl, she reminds you of me? Why?" Marta asked with a curious frown. But a frown nonetheless.

"Déjà vu perhaps." Alphonse shrugged.

"Perhaps it's the same for me then." She answered after some time, when they were nearly back to her house.

Al smiled lightly, and nodded. "You never can tell. This is a simple planet, but it has its own surprises." And as they reached her door he accepted his coat back, folding it over his arm. "Thank you for putting up with me this evening."

Marta smiled at him, "it was terrible." She said teasingly, "don't know why I'd ever be agreeable to doing it again."

Alphonse smiled back at her. "So I shouldn't pick you up at six tomorrow night with tickets for a play?" He asked, just to be sure.

"I wouldn't be waiting for you." Marta told him sagely.

Al chuckled, "I'll see you at six then." He said, watching her thoughtfully before he raised her hand that had somewhere along the line found his again after returning his jacket, and meeting her almost daring look, gently kissed the back of her hand before lowering and releasing it.

"You are so an Englishman." Marta grinned.

Alphonse smirked at that. "Perhaps, but the one's I know would never do this as well after a non-date dinner."

"Do what as well?"

In answer, Al took a quick step forward to lean in and brush a chaste kiss to the surprised lips before he quickly stepped back with a wink. "At least, not the ones who find the finer aspects of Greek wine appalling." He amended.

Marta wasn't sure whether or not to hit him, or kiss him back. She chose the latter, and stepped after him to reclaim his lips in a far from chaste repeat. Yet it was over just as quick as she pulled away, "I'm so glad you're not one of those ones."

"Me too." Alphonse laughed, and cleared his throat pointedly. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

Marta winked at him and turned to go inside. "Goodnight, oh, and Al?"

Al turned to look back at her. "Yes?"

"Just in case I forget between the hangover tomorrow morning…" she began with a coy smile, "I want to see how you like to kiss after a real date dinner."

Alphonse smiled back, his eyes shining in amusement. "I'll be looking forward to tomorrow. Goodnight, Marta." He said, before resuming walking back to his hotel as Marta waved and went inside her house. Shoving his hands in his pockets he smiled to himself. He hadn't been too sure about Roy's last piece of advice, but now he was a believer.

When at first Roy had told him to steal a kiss, and just a quick kiss, he'd been wondering what the purpose was. But Roy had said it would have worked on Edward. And apparently it worked on Marta too. Now he had a real date… "I should call Roy again." Alphonse murmured under his breath. If only to thank the man for helping with the nerves and some of the moves.


	26. Chapter 26

Bar-Ohki: You know deep down you want him to court you too.

moonstone: I'm not planning on it. I pulled myself out of bed just for you hehe.

Shawn: Yes, I have to still get to the happy ending. There are unsolved matters still hanging around them.

Koneko: Nitro wants to give you a llama hug. Ultimatum isn't on hold exactly, I just need to pull out my notebook and finish typing up the next chapter from the paper. I need to do that though, it's been a while since I updated it.

GreedxEd: We all know why you thought it was cute. Al/Marta by any chance? tehehe

B.D.: I'm sure you'd like it if Ed were jealous about you.

Cheru: He is rather yummy like that... I am fairly certain I'll give him more chances to be jealous. -cackle- Alice is so much fun like that.

Sakoyo: The ramen is wonderful, thank you.

xwhitex: Al is just awesome in his own thoughtful, quiet way. And I love the way I do Al as well.... -snickers- it's so much... fun -is hopeless-

mrawgirl: Roy really is a master, and all alchemists look good wet XD

ferret: My mind is as dirty as yours, trust me.

Paon: I like adding him in every so often. I'm getting more attached to him the more I do.

Mary: Two Mustangs.... oh heaven help the female population.

* * *

And now, the wrap up to the days in the lives of our favorite two terrors, lovers, and the supporting cast.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Six

**Romanian Embassy - London**

"What went wrong this time?" Fane sighed as he spotted Alice walking in through the front door of the embassy. He knew something had gone wrong, just by her mere presence. Not taking into account the fact that her hair was standing nearly on end.

"That damn llama is what went wrong!" Alice snapped as she strode over to him, shoving her coat into the waiting hands of the suited man who hurried in her wake.

With a roll of his eyes that he hoped she saw, Fane waved for her to follow him. "You got outwitted by a four-legged beast of burden?" He concluded as he listened to her follow after him. "How utterly sad, are you sure that this is what you really want?"

"Of course it is!" Alice growled, crossing her arms petulantly and stomping after the ambassador. "And it should be what you want as well! Unless I get what I want, you don't get whatever the hell it is you're after with Edward."

"I have more time than you do to wait for Edward to fall into a trap." Fane disagreed, "even if you fail I'm sure there are several other routes I can take. You're just the easiest. Though in retrospect, perhaps not the quickest."

"What is it you're after with Mister Elric anyway?" Alice asked, following him down one of the corridors.

Fane smirked to himself. "I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't care. I'm just curious as to whether or not you should be helping me more, depending on the generosity of the favor I'm doing for you."

"Currently, you're not doing me any favors." Fane reminded her. "Currently you keep getting outwitted by either Roy or that Rottweiler of a llama. And while we're on that little subject, if you were any good at getting men into your bed, you'd have gotten Roy into yours without my help. Does your reputation not only precede, but outshine you?"

Alice scowled, "oh yes, keep laying out the insults. That'll go over really well in the end. I've just begun-"

"And what a fine beginning it is turning out to be." Fane acknowledged with a mocking laugh. "I've never been so impressed in my life." And he opened the door to his office. "If anything, Lady Alice, I should start exacting favors from you, considering all the pains I'm going through to not once, but several times, get you in with Roy alone and you blow everything. Do you think this is a game? This is business."

"That was never in our agreement. You help me to get what I want, that's all." Alice reminded him. "I owe you nothing. And before you bring up that too-common threat to show my father what the life I lead is really like, you can forget about it." She replied as she followed him into his office, rolling her eyes at the three women already inside. Clearly Fane's latest results of his pimping. To be honest, even if Fane was a good dancer, she was hard pressed to get past his looks or the fact that he was just plain ridiculous. She ignored the women.

"And why is that?" Fane asked as he walked over to his desk, pulling one such woman onto his lap as she walked over to him.

Alice shrugged as she walked up to the desk, "he said something earlier today about flying out to Paris on a business trip of some sort. It doesn't involve me so I don't really care. Apparently he'll be gone long enough for me to get Roy, and you to get whatever the hell it is you want out of this. What is it you want, anyway? Yes, bring Edward to his knees, but what else?"

"The only way to move my country forward is to get rid of Edward. I do this, and not only will Romania become stronger, but I will be the one praised for it." And Fane turned to the scantily clad woman in his lap. "Isn't that right?"

"Whatever you say. Just get rid of her." The woman replied, glaring at Alice.

Alice glared right back. "Careful, or the bed you sleep on tonight just might be in a jail cell with three other women who will make you their bitch."

Fane smirked, and wound his arms around the woman in his lap. "Not in a foreign embassy. You have no jurisdiction here. Here, I have all the power. So get to the point of why you're here before I have _you_ arrested for some stupid thing like… oh, wasting my time."

Alice glared at him. "I need you to create some sort of diversion in Parliament that will keep Edward occupied for a large amount of time. Hours. I don't care when, just keep me informed of when the coast is clear."

"That's all?" Fane asked, and chuckled darkly. "A diversion? In Parliament that will last hours? What do you think I plan to do, set off a bomb scare?"

Alice shrugged, "do whatever you see fit. Though personally I hope you do something which will get you arrested."

Fane considered, "very well. But this time if Edward lays a hand on me again, I'll be doing the same to you. Do we understand each other?"

"I'd love to see you try." Alice replied sweetly.

Fane smirked, "trust me, you'd rather I do it, than Edward- were I to accidentally slip mention of the details of our little bargain."

"Trust me, you'd rather I not tell Edward a few dark little secrets I know about you. It'll make whatever ass-kicking he gave you seem like child's play." Alice said and absently tugged at her hair, trying to make it lay flat again. "Try what you will, Fane, but in the end, I'm still going to win. The cards are stacked in my favor here on my own homeland."

"If such a thing were an immovable barrier to getting what I want, then politicians like myself would cease to exist." Fane reminded her. "I'm an ambassador, I'm not one for no good reason. I know how to get what I want on the turf of another country."

"Except when a single advisor to the prime minister is standing in your way." Alice laughed, and spun on her heel. "Do what I said, cause a diversion. So far that seems to be all you're capable of as an ambassador."

Fane watched her go, before turning to the women, the remaining two of which had gathered around him. "Now where were we ladies…"

Outside Alice stomped her way back out to the car waiting for her. Getting in she glowered out the window as the car pulled free of the gates of the embassy and back out onto the streets. She was running out of time. The more time Edward and Roy spent together, the more Edward would corrupt Roy towards her. She couldn't let Raymond happen all over again. It had been too harsh a blow to lose him, especially like that. And deep down, she felt that it was somehow Edward's fault that Raymond had turned traitor. She wasn't going to lose Roy either because of that annoying advisor.

"Maybe it's time to start acting on my own as well." She muttered under her breath, staring out at the sleet as it began to fall, obscuring the already dark night sky. "Fane is ridiculous and unreliable. I just have to get Edward out of that shack of his. Or lure out Roy… which might be more difficult. He's so pale, I doubt he ever goes outside much." Well, Edward it was then. "Good thing we share a property border." Alice slowly smiled to herself.

"Back home, Lady Alice?" The driver asked back at her, undisturbed by her mutterings.

Alice straightened, her eyebrows coming together in thought. "No. Not just yet. I have one more visit to make. Wherever the nearest club is… I need a hell of a drink."

And the car changed direction obediently.

**10 Downing Street – Prime Minister's Office**

Thomas walked into Charles's office, finding the man still hard at work. "Sir?"

Charles looked up with a smile of welcome. "Ah, Mister Brown, still no luck I assume?"

Thomas shook his head. "No, sir. He's still not answering the phone. Would you like me to stop by and just check if he's there? I still don't understand why he ran off so fast."

"I don't think any of us are meant to." Charles replied, folding his hands together on top of his desk with a thoughtful breath. "No, leave him be. I'm sure he's fine."

"There's something else." Thomas ventured, only continuing at Charles's nod. "I got a call from one of Alphonse's coworkers at the paper. A Mike something or other, runs the gossip column. He seems to think we should be aware that Lady Alice seems to be spending quite a bit of time with Mister Banciu."

"Is he trailing her or something?"

"He runs the gossip column." Thomas rolled his eyes, "of course he's trailing her. How fortunate for her that her father doesn't read the paper Al works for."

Charles looked thoughtful. "He believes they're up to something?"

"The man works with Al, and I figure if he had the inclination to call me that this Mike person and Alphonse must be friends of a sort." Thomas explained, "so naturally he'd know that Edward and Al are brothers, and that Edward and Fane have no love for each other. Throw Lady Alice into the picture, and it's easy to see where his train of thought is headed."

Charles nodded slowly. "Inform Edward, let him decide what he wants to do. If he wants security posted at his gate, you can arrange for that. However we can only hope that Mister Banciu is just seducing Lady Alice into a one night stand. I pity either of them who encounter that llama on a bad weather day such as this one."

"Yes, sir." Thomas nodded, and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Mister Brown," Charles called after him.

"Sir?" Thomas stopped, and looked back.

"Elections are coming up faster than any of us think. I hope you're thinking on your next choice."

Thomas paused, before he nodded. "I am, but until then, I'm learning a great deal from Mister Elric. I'll never be any good unless I continue to learn from him until that day."

"Have a good rest of your evening." Charles smiled at the man.

"You as well." Thomas smiled back, and quickly left.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

"Stop that."

"Don't think so."

"Edward."

"Roy."

Roy promptly pushed Edward under the water, released the blonde's head, and smirked as the more than tipsy man resurfaced. "It creeps me out when you do that."

"I know, that's why I do it." Edward grinned unabashedly, pushing his sopping wet hair from his eyes. "Oh look, I'm all wrinkly!" He exclaimed with glee, staring at his flesh hand as if completely entranced by it.

Roy smiled, and tried not to laugh. "Yes, Ed, love. That's what happen when we spend fuck knows how many hours in your damn kiddie pool." In all fairness, the water was deep enough for swimming, and it came up to his chest, but he could hardly _not_ taunt the blonde about the deepness of the water.

"You're too big." Ed pouted, and began to slosh his way away from Roy.

Roy cracked a grin, "is my size a problem?" And he laughed as Edward blushed mid-stumble through the water. "Where are you going?"

"To get more wine." Edward declared, resuming his drunken stumbles towards where the wine bottle sat innocently at the edge of the pool.

Roy groaned, "you've clearly had enough. Just how did you manage to drink all that liquor before you ran off on that horse? You were getting dizzy on your third glass of this stuff." He said, and swam after the blonde.

"This stuff is the very, _very_ good stuff." Ed explained in a conspiratorial whisper as he turned to Roy with a grin. "I like good stuff."

"I can tell." Roy said, and intercepted Ed into his arms, pulling the blonde firmly into them. "You don't need more wine, love."

"Do too."

"Don't start that again."

Edward beamed up at him innocently. "Start what again?"

"You know what. You little terror." Roy chided, and tried not to mind as Edward splashed water at him for his use of a certain adjective.

"Then I think we should go to bed." Edward suggested verbally, while his body suggested in other ways.

Roy coughed delicately, and began to pull Ed back away from the wine bottle. "Would you even remember it tomorrow morning?"

"Probably not." Ed admitted as he still smiled up at Roy as if completely enraptured.

Grunting in agreement, Roy nodded. "So tell me, my little-" another splash of water was sent at his head,"Fullmetal, your brother should have had his non-date dinner already. How do you think it went?"

"I'll call him tomorrow so he can freak out over the phone and cause hearing loss." Edward decided, circling his arms around Roy's neck.

"Sounds fabulous."

"Did you know you're gorgeous?" Ed asked with a tilt of his head as he considered the man holding him.

Roy chuckled, "you're very sweet when you've had too much to drink."

"Drink!"

Roy had to hang on as Ed suddenly tried to launch off in a sloppy backstroke towards where the wine bottle was. "No, no more for you." He insisted, holding onto the now pouting blonde.

"But you're gorgeous." Edward wheedled running his fingers through Roy's hair.

"It's the wine talking."

"It is not."

"Well, Alice certainly seems to think I'm nice to look at." Roy teased, and barely had time to laugh before he was suddenly bracing himself against the pool wall as he kissed Edward back. He kept the slippery blonde wrapped in his arms, not wanting the water to be getting in their way right now.

When Edward pulled away at last to catch his breath he was glowering at Roy. Rather cutely, as far as Roy was concerned.

"Alice cannot have you, you're mine." Edward growled, leaning in to kiss against Roy's neck.

"Yes, the skeleton belongs to you." Roy chuckled, leaning his head back against the floor around the pool as Edward continued to kiss him. A content sigh slipped from his lips, and he held Ed close. "Don't worry, she won't like me anymore when she believes there's nothing about me to fix."

"Why did you do that to yourself?" Edward asked in a pause of his attentions to Roy's wet skin.

Roy smiled faintly to himself, almost sadly. "It doesn't matter anymore. Are you sure you're kissing me correctly?"

"Oh I'll kiss you." Edward growled before attacking Roy's neck again.

Relieved that Edward being drunk had another silver lining, he closed his eyes. Not only would Ed not remember asking him such a thing, he was easily distracted away from it. It wasn't a question Roy wanted to answer, not now. If ever. Because in all truthfulness, it _didn't_ matter anymore. There were other matters demanding his notice right now, and he soon found himself unable to stay away from one such matter any longer as he turned Ed around to pin the blonde up against the textured wall of the pool.

Meanwhile only two doors down, the sedatives were still working at keeping the pregnant Camira calm at being enclosed in the garage, but she stirred restlessly. She'd ventured over to press up against the garage door where she could smell both the cold and the llama on the other side. The presence of Nitro, even on the other side, kept her far calmer than the sedatives as the first contraction started.

On the other side of the garage door, Nitro stood quite still, eyes trained on the front gates of the estate, ears listening to one of his charges as the sleet soaked him through.


	27. Chapter 27

Okay, I'm going to answer some questions, and then get back to finishing typing up the next chapter of Ultimatum from my notebook. If my cold medicine doesn't knock me on my butt, I should be able to have it uploaded by tonight.

Edward and Raymond had their little incident between six and seven years ago. I based it for sometime in '44, close to '45 which was when the war ended, but not quite right there. And Fane has been an ambassador for far too long. He's been ambassador to England for five years, but was ambassadoring to other countries before that, as we'll get into later on.

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Chapter Twenty Seven

"Come on Ed, not much farther." Roy laughed as he helped the very intoxicated blonde up the last of the stairs.

"Sleep here." Ed mumbled as he clung to Roy, trying to sink to his knees.

Roy tried not to snicker as he pulled Edward along. "No, not here." He insisted as he hauled them back to their room. He was glad that he hadn't drunk nearly as much as Ed. He was far from being past the very light feeling of tipsiness that was barely noticed.

Ed made a very rude sounding noise that told Roy exactly what _he _thought of not being able to sleep in the hallway.

Chuckling, Roy finally managed to get them back into the room, and dump Edward onto the bed. Luckily the length of the walk had dried their bodies off. Though Ed's hair was still damp. "Hold on." Roy told Ed who was sleepily reaching for him. Turning to go into the bathroom he grabbed a spare clean towel and went back to the bed.

"You silly thing." Roy smiled as he saw Edward had fallen fast asleep. Lifting Ed's head gently he loosely wrapped the damp blonde hair in the towel and laid Ed's head back down. Leaning in he kissed Edward's forehead and straightened to pull the covers over Edward. He'd turn in shortly, he just had to clean up their little party down by the pool.

Grabbing his hobo clothes and throwing a bathrobe on over them, he went back downstairs after turning out the bedroom light. Taking the stairs fast, but carefully so he wouldn't trip in case the alcohol got the better of him on the descent, he reached the first floor safely. Humming his way back into the room that contained the rather large swimming pool, he grabbed up the wine bottle and glasses, as well as the empty platter that had contained their food. All of which was gone now.

He turned off the light as he went, and shut the door behind him. It didn't take him long to take care of cleaning the dirtied dishes. Edward was fast asleep, and Roy wasn't quite tired yet. Not that he didn't love being curled up with that lovely terror, but judging by how awake he felt, he'd have plenty of time to enjoy a certain warm body next to him.

Looking out one of the many windows of the kitchen he watched as the sleet began to turn to snow, obscuring everything beyond a short distance past the glass. He couldn't even see a single tree. It was all a mess of grays and whites against black night. "Naturally Ed chose to live in the equivalent of Drachma." Roy rolled his eyes while finding himself very glad that the chateau was as well built as it was. The heat was kept inside in the winter.

After a time Roy left the kitchen, making his way back towards the staircase. He was three steps up when he heard a strange sound he hadn't quite ever heard before. It caused him to pause, and he frowned as he listened when it sounded again. Oddly, it sounded like it was coming from inside.

Slowly he backed off the stairs and began to make his way towards where it had come from.

He walked down the hallway that led to the garage, looking around as he went. It was when he heard the sound again, that he realized where it was coming from. "You've got to be kidding me." He half-groaned, half-muttered under his breath.

Looking between the garage door, and the hallway behind him which would lead to bed, Roy swore under his breath and stepped forward. Opening the door to the garage he cautiously poked his head in, half expecting to have a hormonal panicking mare perform a two-hoof beat down on his head at its appearance.

But when he caught sight of her, it was not in such a manner as he'd imagined. Blinking once, and then again, he slowly entered the garage, shutting the door behind him. The horse was down on one side near the center of the garage, squirming and when what Roy guessed was a contraction came, she tried to bite at her side as if it would relieve her of the discomfort.

"Ed, you said she wasn't due yet." Roy groaned and looked back towards the door. There was no chance of getting Edward awake, much less coherent enough to deal with this. But horses did this all the time on their own. He just would wait to make sure she was okay. Big animals could do it themselves.

At another whine of pain, Roy looked back at her with sympathy and almost a hint of panic. Feeling his fear begin to waver under the sympathy for what the soon to be mother must be going through, he took a step forward.

And then another.

Until he was almost at her head, and slowly he knelt down. "Please don't bite me. You're going to be okay. It's just your baby coming, you want to have a baby, right?" He yelped and sat back on his rear hard as the mare tried to bite at her side again. "Hey now!" Roy admonished, "yes you do want to have a baby. So stop trying to bite its head off, you're the one who got knocked up." He told her, and hesitantly reached out a hand to stroke it down the side of her head. His other hand moved over to feel along her stomach. "Don't they have mare Lamaze classes?"

According to Camira, they did not. Though she did take comfort in the human being there, even if the human was mostly unfamiliar.

From beyond the garage door, Roy could hear Nitro all of a sudden. Only that llama could be banging away and making a racket on the door. Standing up, he ignored the horse who was still straining to shove out the coming foal, and opened the garage door up.

"Get in here, you idiot!" Roy barked at Nitro as a blast of cold air came into the garage. And he shut it as soon as said idiot had bolted for the shelter. "Now stay away, I don't need you getting her wet."

Nitro was content to stay where he was to watch, dripping onto the floor and resisting the urge to shake himself like a dog.

Roy went back down to kneel by the mare, keeping an eye on her as she continued to push. "Is this the way you large animals seek to torment me? Have your babies on the one night that your owner gets sauced and passes out? I'm lucky he still remembered his name by the time I got him to bed."

As nervous and scared as he was of large animals, he knew Edward had been worried about the birthing. Had Ed been unconcerned about it, he would have gladly left the horse to her own devices. But if something were to go wrong that he could have prevented had he stayed, he never would have forgiven himself. And he never wanted to see a look of disappointment on Edward's face.

And so he continued to stay with her, talking mostly nonsense as if she cared, until she gave the heave that caused Roy to look over. Moving back towards her tail he could see the legs begin to come out, and as soon as he could, he grabbed onto the wet hindquarters and pulled with the mare's last push.

Roy fell back onto his rear again, this time with his arms full of wet, heavy foal. Slowly he got up, gently disentangling himself from the baby as the mother scrambled back to her feet. Backing up to be with Nitro he stood there, covered in placenta goo and blood from the chest down, but smiling as he watched the mare begin to tongue wash her baby.

"We're both a mess." Roy said blandly as he looked at the sopping wet Nitro, and then looked at himself. Pulling off his soiled bathrobe he draped it over the llama. "Here you go, gift for you."

Nitro immediately yanked the offending garment off with his teeth and let it fall to the floor.

"No more gifts for you." Roy determined, and looked over as he heard the scrambling noises. Grinning, he watched as the still damp foal struggled, failed, and struggled some more to find her feet. He could see easily now that one of Ed's guesses had been correct. One hell of a leggy filly. "Did you look this odd as a baby?" He asked the llama conversationally.

Had Nitro been able to understand English, he would have wiped that smirk off of the human's face. But as it was, he was only able to watch what was going on.

And then the filly was up, and Roy smiled as the newborn immediately began to nurse. "Ed should be happy, she seems healthy enough." With a yawn covered by one hand, Roy walked around them the long way, nervous of Camira now that the horse was actually back up and standing, and now burden free.

He sat down along the farthest wall, feeling suddenly quite tired. Yet he didn't feel like leaving just yet. The sight of the newborn nursing and her quite tired but happy looking mother made him feel rather good. And he laughed as the understandably hungry mother moved towards her hay, jostling the baby away in the process. Yet the foal was not about to give up, and elegantly staggered after her dam to seek out her food source again.

Gradually he felt himself begin to relax, and didn't realized that he'd actually closed his eyes until he felt a warm weight settle against his leg. Jerking up straighter, he froze as he filly finished laying her head down on his thigh. Looking up he saw that the mare was watching them sleepily, and he cautiously looked back down at the foal who was already fast asleep, curled up against him and using him as a pillow. Slowly he felt himself smile, and he reached out to lay a hand against her neck before leaning his head back against the wall. He'd be a pillow for a few minutes, but then it was definitely off to bed.

There was absolutely no way he was spending the night in the garage.

Hours later, when Edward woke up, he sat up and looked around in confusion as he saw he was alone. His head ached something fierce, but questions as to where Roy was drove him out of bed. Grabbing some clothes he pulled them on before heading out of the bedroom to search for his missing lover. Roy usually wasn't up this early in the morning.

He searched the top floor first, coming up with nothing. The windows of the library assured him there was little chance Roy was outside. So he made his way downstairs. Working his way from the kitchen, ballroom, and then room by room, he finally came to the last remaining door. Still no sign of Roy.

But Roy wouldn't be in here. Not with a horse. The man was terrified of horses.

Yet…

Edward paused, and then let himself in.

There, lying down with his back to the wall and his arm around the shoulders of the hours old filly that was pressed against his front, Roy was sleeping soundly. The young foal's head was next to Roy's and she remained fast asleep even as her mother stirred awake and Nitro clomped over towards where Edward was standing in shock.

Reaching out a hand to rest it against Nitro's head to obey the demands to be petted, Edward slowly grinned as he took in the sight before him. "Well I'll be damned." He whispered and began to chuckle softly to himself. "I get plastered and Roy is kidnapped by a baby."

Not curious enough to inspect the foal, and thus disturb the sleep she and Roy were getting together, Edward instead quietly walked over to the mare. "You must be a proud mama." He smiled as he petted her gently. And even though the mare was calmly watching over Roy and her foal now, Edward still went to fetch and give her her sedative shot. "You can get out of here in a few days." He told her reassuringly. "As soon as I'm sure your baby will handle it."

Turning away he walked back over quietly to look down at Roy and smile affectionately. "Thank you for being here." He whispered, and then looked over at Nitro. "I think I better get them a blanket. Wouldn't want them to get cold."

And go to fetch a blanket he did, along with his camera. Bringing the items back he took a quick picture of the adorable sight Roy made like that, and then covered the both of them with a blanket. Smiling happily to himself, he retreated back into the house as quietly as he could to give them some peace. He'd at least make himself useful by cooking breakfast, since Roy seemed to have been up for quite a while last night.

The camera he set on the counter. He'd have to get more pictures and develop them later. And he planned to make copies for Roy of him lying there asleep with the filly.

Roy was not woken up by the fact he was asleep on a hard surface, but that the filly was currently sniffing at him in curiosity. Trying not to do anything so frivolous sounding as _giggle_, Roy blinked his eyes open and sat up to look at the foal who had gotten to her feet and begun sniffing at the human she'd slept beside. "That tickles." He admonished her with a far from stern smile.

Getting up, he picked up the blanket as well, knowing happily that Ed must have come and found them. Oh he'd never live this down. Holding it in one hand he looked over as the filly nudged at him with her head. "And what do you want?" He asked the baby who was practically all legs and no horse. And slowly he reached out to begin scratching around her ears, smiling as the animal leaned into the touch gratefully. "You're too cute." He decided with a quiet laugh.

When the foal finally scampered away bouncily to nurse, Roy took the chance to slip away back into the house, trying to stretch the stiffness from his body. All the while telling himself _not_ to think of how cute the newest addition to Al's reject herd was. He was absolutely not going to think that something that could grow to be so big could ever be cute.

And yet…

"She's so cute!" Roy informed Ed happily as he located the blonde in the kitchen. "And thanks for the blanket, by the way. I didn't think I'd actually fall asleep down there."

Edward turned with a grin. "You two did look adorable together."

"I've never seen a baby animal be born like that."

"So what are you going to name her?" Edward asked, just a bit evilly as he walked over to kiss Roy on the cheek.

Roy cleared his throat, "doesn't matter. Your horse."

"But you said she was cute." Ed teased mercilessly.

"Yeah, well," Roy hedged, "joy of the moment?"

Edward laughed at that. "Keep telling yourself that. You think the foal is cute. You're not scared of her?"

Roy shook his head, "she's small enough. But why can't they stay that size?"

"Because she's cute?"

"Yes. No!" Roy amended quickly and glared as Edward started laughing again.

Edward smiled, "I believe I said if it was a filly we'd name it Flame. So Flame it shall be. Rather fitting I think, since you're the first human she's ever known. And she likes you."

Roy blushed. "She just fell asleep on me, that's all."

"And you her." Ed grinned and ruffled Roy's hair. "Now if you'll go take a shower, you look like hell, I'll finish making us both some breakfast. And then you can help me with our newest mouth to feed. I might need you to help keep her still while I look her over. I think you should be capable of that."

"I'll do my best." Roy agreed with forced lack of enthusiasm, and turned to go do as he was told.

Edward watched him go with a smile, and then turned back to making breakfast. In a way he was glad he'd missed the blessed event. He'd much rather that Roy had been there. Even if he did feel a bit guilty that he'd been too drunk to help. At least, he assumed so. He couldn't remember anything about last night past the fourth glass of wine. And he knew he must have had plenty more.

Maybe the foal would help Roy slowly lose his fear of horses. After all, she wouldn't stay small for very long. And he doubted that if Roy became attached to the filly, or the Flame to her namesake, that Roy could avoid her for long because of size. Sometimes animals helped with fears in the strangest of ways.

And Edward did love his animals.

Upstairs Roy was finishing getting dressed again. He was glad to have clean clothes, though he wasn't too sad about getting them a bit dirty last night. It had actually been a rather good day, yesterday. It had started off with pure entertainment, and ended with a new life being born right in front of his eyes. Really, he saw nothing he wanted to change about it.

Though if Alice were to suddenly vanish into thin air, he'd be none too heartbroken about it.

Shaking his head at the mere mention of her, he began his way back downstairs. He was finding out that he was quite hungry, and he knew that he should take advantage of it. He needed to eat for energy, and continue using that energy to keep putting on muscle. Absentmindedly he ran a hand down his side, feeling the individual rib bones and ending at the hip bone. All stuck out still, though he could tell it had improved. Perhaps a few more months and he'd finally have back the body he used to before it vanished as his illness sucked the life out of him.

He could only hope, he didn't like feeling weak physically. Not when he no longer had alchemy to protect him.

Entering the kitchen again he snuck up behind Edward and wrapped his arms around the man's middle with a smile. "Have I ever told you how delicious your shampoo makes you smell?" He asked as he inhaled deeply.

Edward tried not to blush or laugh, and failed partially at both. Turning his head back to catch sight of Roy at the edge of his peripheral vision, he smiled thoughtfully. "No, how delicious?" He asked interestedly. "The smell that makes you want to devour me? Or savor every taste?"

"Both. In the most addicting way imaginable." Roy corrected as he nuzzled Ed's neck. "You smell wonderful."

Ed tried to keep his breathing normal, but was having to focus very hard on doing so. "More wonderful than breakfast?"

Roy hummed his agreement. "I could have you as my breakfast. Small portion, but still delicious."

Edward promptly reached back to smack him on the head.

Roy let go with a laugh, grinning in the face of Edward's glare. "Did that slip out?"

"Indeed so." Edward said quite firmly, and stepped forward to take Roy's face in his hands and lean up to kiss the man deeply. And when he finally let them part, he smirked as Roy tried to catch his breath. "Now _that_," he concluded, "definitely tasted good."

Roy licked his lips with a low chuckle. "Glad you thought so, love."

Ed grinned at him and pulled away. "Time for a real breakfast. And if you're a good help to me today with your filly, I might give you your other breakfast."

"Enticing. Though I still maintain you are an extortionist." Roy remarked as he followed the blonde across the kitchen and to the table.

"Only where it counts." Edward grinned as he sat in his customary chair at the table and began to fork pancakes onto his plate. "So tell me what happened last night after I completely passed out. I assume I passed out?"

"Quite memorably so." Roy agreed with a smirk. "But let me just say that you are wonderfully sweet while drunk."

Edward blushed, "oh no, don't tell me. What did I say?"

"Shall I tell you or not?" Roy continued to smirk.

He shook his head quickly. "No, I think I'd rather hold onto what dignity I have left. Though whatever sweet things I said, I meant them."

Roy snorted, and his face broke into a grin. "I know you did, even if I think you might need your eyes checked. As _gorgeous_ as they are."

"Stop teasing me." Ed said from behind his hands.

"Oh they are, believe me." Roy said, reaching out to pull Ed's hands down. "Yes," he said as he gazed into those golden eyes, "they're as gorgeous as the rest of you."

"I would not have used a word like that." Edward argued nervously.

Roy wagged a finger at him. "To describe me you would."

Edward groaned, and tried not to laugh in helplessness. "What happened after all this then?"

"Well, I decided to go clean things up after putting you to bed. Which was very amusing I must say." Roy grinned at the look on Ed's face, and continued. "Anyway I heard the new mother making noises, and when I checked to see what she was doing she was already down on the ground. Nitro wanted in, and she just shoved the thing out. It all happened relatively fast I guess."

Edward smiled. "I'm glad. Poor thing's been through enough without a hard labor. But you stayed with her." He said as he considered Roy, still smiling.

Roy nodded, "I thought you'd have stayed if you were in any shape to. And if anything had gone wrong that I might have been able to prevent, I wouldn't have wanted that on my conscious."

"Thank you for staying." Ed nodded to himself. "You're right, I would have done the same."

They finished their breakfast, and cleaned everything before heading to the garage to check on the new mother and her newly named filly. That, and the llama who was still in the garage keeping watch over the two. Instinctively, though they were secure in the garage, Nitro was still of the mindset that he should be as close as possible to them to protect the baby just in case.

At least until the foal got ornery after a few weeks of his hovering.

Edward might have entered the garage first, encountering an affectionate Nitro. But it was Roy who entered last who encountered a delighted Flame who seemed to be demanding to know where her human companion had gone.

Roy tried to hold back the squeak of surprise, he did, but it still came out. Around the same time he fell onto his rear end from being knocked off balance by the foal's unrestrained excitement. Ignoring Ed's snickering, he scowled at the filly. "Flame! Be more careful!" He chided her, but his resolve to be annoyed evaporated almost instantly when she turned the perfect picture of downcast puppy. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell." He sighed, and extended a hand towards her. "Just try not to knock me over, huh? You're a lot stronger than you think, and I'm rather weak right now."

Edward grinned devilishly and grabbed the camera from his pocket. Waiting until the foal had her nose against Roy's hand, he quickly took the picture with a teasing, "a-aww."

Roy whipped around to stare at Ed with wide eyes, before suddenly leaping to his feet. "Give me that camera! You little fiend!"

Edward shrieked in laughter and bolted towards Camira who eyed him woefully before turning back to her hay. Sidling up against her he stuck his tongue out at Roy who was in the process of stopping in his tracks. "Can't get me over here, Roy."

Roy jolted to a stop, only to pitch forward with a yell of surprise as Flame, unable to stop her gleeful bound after him in time, crashed into Roy. And she stood there staring in interest as Roy hit the floor.

Edward barely had time to take another picture before he doubled over in laughter.

Roy picked himself up grumbling, and looked up and over at the filly who was now standing beside him, her head lowered so she could look him in the eye as if asking "why are you down there?" Placing a hand on her withers he pushed himself back onto his feet, and turned his attention to Edward- who had just taken another picture. "You're as bad as Hughes, give me that camera."

"Oh no." Edward grinned in delight. "These little gems are getting developed and the originals sent to Al for safe keeping."

"And what of the copies?" Roy asked warily.

Edward stuck his tongue out again. "That's for you to find out." And he promptly took another picture of Roy's reproachful face before pocketing the camera again. "Now keep her still for a moment." He said as he walked over to them.

Roy sniffed, "don't see why I should."

"Because you want the other kind of breakfast." Edward reminded him with a coy smile.

… Damn. "Fine." Roy groused and knelt down to begin scratching around the filly's ears, much to her delight, while Edward poked and prodded and generally looked her over. Only when Edward straightened did Roy look up at him from his still going task of lavishing attention on the foal. "Well? Is she healthy?"

Edward smiled reassuringly. "Seems to be in wonderful shape. I wouldn't worry about your precious Flame, Flame."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Oh ha-ha." He muttered and stood up. "I'm just glad she's not damaged like the rest of them."

Edward smiled knowingly. "It's hard to say what color she'll end up. She's looking dark brown right now, but she could get lighter or darker by the time she's grown."

"So long as she doesn't end up white." Roy said with a smile down at her. "She's named after me, after all. She should end up having a colorful personality."

"Well that's one of the nicer ways to describe you." Edward agreed ruefully, and ducked Roy's swat.

"Now, about that camera…" Roy began, and lunged for Edward who bolted towards the door leading back into the house. Quickly, he bolted after the blonde, only pausing to close the door to keep the animals from following them inside. And then he was running down the hallway after Ed who was cackling madly. "Ed, get back here with that camera!"

Edward looked over his shoulder as he turned towards the stairs. "Only when you can catch me! And then you'll have to find it!" He called back, and ran up the stairs.

Roy paused at the foot of the stairs, "unfair!" He called after Edward who only answered with another laugh as he vanished somewhere on the second level. Mentally listing the other things he'd do when he caught the blonde terror, he made his way up the stairs-albeit at a slightly slower rate of speed.

Once he got there, he began to search through all the rooms, until he had exhausted all options but one.

So he entered the library.

An eyebrow lifted in interest as his eyes rested on Edward who was reclining back onto the couch invitingly, the camera being waved back and forth slowly in one hand while the blonde grinned devilishly. "You're up to something." He determined as he walked nearer.

Edward smiled sweetly, "now why would you think that?" And he promptly stuffed the camera between the back couch cushion and one of the seat cushions. "Woops. You'll have to come over here to get it."

"Oh I'll get _something_." Roy promised as he closed the library doors.

Ed merely grinned, and tried not to laugh in the seconds before Roy pounced on him.


	28. Chapter 28

All I can say is.... oops. Next time I'll remember to post" Do not read while eating" warnings too -cackle- Especially when giving birth is involved in a chapter.

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Chapter Twenty Eight

Roy was reclining back on the couch with a sated expression as he watched Ed putter about the library humming happily to himself. He wasn't exactly sure what Edward was looking for as the blonde continuously pulled books down, flipped through them, shoved them back in after a gaze through whatever content he paused at, and went to find another book. He could have asked what the little terror was up to, but he didn't. He was enjoying watching too much. And he enjoyed those quiet moments they shared together. Or when he could just watch Edward.

After a while Edward came back over, a thin paperback book in hand, and he flopped down beside the reclined Roy, near his stomach. "Here, this is for you." He said, setting the book next to them on a cushion.

Roy picked it up in interest, and began to scan through it with a frown. "Why would I need to learn this?"

Ed looked over as Roy continued to browse through. "Well, since Flame likes you, you should know how to interact with her so she doesn't grow up and turn into Nitro. Make sure she learns to behave properly."

"Nitro does behave properly."

"For his purpose."

"And what," Roy began hesitantly, "do you intend Flame's purpose to be?"

Edward grinned at his nervousness. "Well, read the book. I'm sure she'll inform you about her purpose in her own way, in her own time."

"I have so many books to read." Roy sighed and sat up, wrapping his arms around Edward. "Do _you_ come with a manual? I'd love to read that."

Ed snorted and whacked his thigh. "I'm sure you would. But for now I need to call and see if Al's in, and then I need to go check the property lines. Maybe afterwards when I get home tonight you can help me write such a thing and-" he looked over his shoulder at Roy coyly, "-give it a title."

"Check the what?" Roy frowned.

"The property lines. Make sure the snow and wind hasn't caused much damage. And with Alice being on one of the other sides, I'd rather not give her an opening into anything she thinks up. I prefer things to come marching in through the front gates."

"That'll take you nearly all day!" Roy protested.

Ed smirked at the whining tone in Roy's voice. "Yes, so I'll be quite ready for you to warm me up again once I get back. If I get going right after I speak to Al, if he picks up, I should be back around nine tonight."

Roy sighed, there really was nothing to be done for it he supposed. It did need doing, he certainly didn't want Alice waltzing in through an undiscovered back door. He wished he could go with, but considering he could guess how Ed would go about doing this, he wasn't brave enough for it. He could only take so much of a large animal a day. "So that means I get to read." He deadpanned.

Ed laughed, and took one of Roy's hands in his to kiss the fingers affectionately. "You need to if you're going to be able to fool these people. You can't hide here forever behind these walls. And with me gone you won't be distracted."

"Except I'll worry about you out there alone with those huge animals." Roy admitted.

"Don't worry, I've done this plenty of times before completely alone. I'll be just fine." Ed reassured him gently, and as Roy reluctantly pulled his arms away he stood up only to turn and lead down to kiss his cheek. "I love you, I won't let anything happen to me."

Roy smiled up at him. "I know, but I still worry about you. I can't help it." And he looked down at his latest required reading. "Well, this should at least pass the time quickly I hope."

"It should." Ed agreed and began to walk off to find the phone. "It's something important to you."

"Just because she won't leave me alone?" Roy asked after him.

Ed flashed him a grin over his shoulder. "Because she imprinted on you. Like a baby duck. You're as responsible for her now as her own mother is, whether you want it to be that way or not. She's your little duckling."

"I've always wanted to be a drake, how did you know?" Roy rolled his eyes and gazed down at the cover depicting a gag worthy adorable scene of a foal and its mother to the background of blue skies, grass, and pastel colors.

"Drake huh? I was going to cook that other duck here soon. I suppose I can cook you as well. Kill two birds with one stone."

"I don't think it's duck hunting season." Roy grumbled and flipped to the table of contents.

Edward chuckled softly as he grabbed up the receiver and dialed the hotel once again. After giving the room number, he waited as the phone began to ring again. And he childishly felt like crossing his fingers in the hope that Al would pick up the phone.

"_Yeah?"_ The tired voice came over the line.

Ed grinned, "late night was it?"

There was a pause, and then. _"It's barely after seven a.m. here. How late my night was makes no difference."_

"You're usually up by six." Ed reminded him gleefully. "So how was it?"

"_Ah…"_ Al was silent for some time, and Ed laughed quietly over the phone until he spoke again. _"It went really well. I'm seeing her again in three days. I have business dinners until then. So at least I'll have something to look forward to."_

"Did you tell her that last part?" Ed grinned wickedly.

"_Not quite so forwardly."_ Al laughed over the phone. _"So what's going on over there? I'm sure something a lot more fun than what I'm dealing with."_

"Ah, you're not getting off that easy, little brother. You wanted details about Roy and I, so spill a bit more."

"_But you didn't give details?"_

"I didn't hear that, Al. What was that?" Ed grinned.

"_Oh sure you didn't. Very well, we went to a play. She snuck in food for us that she made. And we spent our own intermission doing that thing you and Roy took absurdly long to do."_

Ed gasped over the phone, his eyes widening. "You had sex during the intermission of the play? What play did you go to?!"

Al's snort could be heard clearly. _"We did no such thing! I meant we got around to more kissing."_

"Roy and I did more than kiss that night." Edward remarked wryly, and then paused. "Wait…" he mulled over what Al had said, and then grinned. "_More_ kissing?"

"_I refuse to say anything more on the subject."_

"Little brother, you naughty, naughty thing." Ed teased mercilessly. "Not wasting any time are you."

"_We don't have time to waste. Either you, I, Roy, even Marta. If we find the one… there's really no time to waste. But don't worry, I'm behaving myself."_

"Please," Ed laughed, "I don't behave myself around Roy."

"_Well women are different, brother. Even women like Marta. But that's why I'm the straight one and you're not, I can handle it."_

"I'd be insulted by that if I wasn't completely content with my preference."

"_Right. Now what's going on on the other side of the Atlantic?"_

Ed groaned, "you should probably be glad you're over there. Things are getting interesting. I'm starting to suspect that it might be prudent for me to take an impromptu vacation and get Roy and I the hell out of here. Especially if Fane tries anything again, I've already minorly assaulted him. Oh, and Camira had her baby. Who completely adores Roy."

"_Good distraction, I can't wait to see the baby, I'm glad it finally happened. But why did you assault Fane?"_

"He plotted something up with Alice, and was trying to prevent me from leaving work to get back to Roy."

"_About time. Well, I'm sure if you end up skipping town you'll let me know where you've run off to. And I'm sure Thomas would give you the all clear when it was safer for you to come back."_

"I just think getting away for a week or two, if it comes down to that, might not be a bad idea. Give things time to settle down without me being dragged into it."

"_You need to just retire and move to Perugia. I could take care of the house and the animals. And you could go and eat chocolate for the rest of your life."_

Ed smiled into the phone. "You have no idea how tempting that sounds."

Roy was six pages into the first chapter of his latest book assignment when Ed walked back into the library after being on the phone for several minutes. "He was there?" Roy figured.

"Yes." Ed grinned. "I'd thought I'd let you know though before I head out that you must have given him some good advice. He's got another date with her."

Roy smiled back at him, pleased that Alphonse was having such luck. "He deserves to find someone too. I want him to be as lucky as I am."

Trying not to feel so pleased with the flattery, Ed flashed him an almost shy smile. Did Roy seriously think _he_ was the lucky one? Ed felt pretty damn lucky himself. Half raising a hand in a wave he turned around. "I'll be back before you know it."

Roy watched Edward walk back out of the library and then turned back to his book with a smile. If he didn't know any better, he'd think Ed was still trying to believe that this was happening between them. Well, he'd spend the rest of his life proving to Edward that he wouldn't run away like the blond had thought. Ed needn't worry that he'd stray, he'd waited all these years, suffered for so many of them, all to be with the blond.

He knew he could never love anyone else.

In their room, Edward finished pulling on his heavier boots. It wasn't snowing, and he doubted it'd start up again before he got back, but he wanted to be prepared. He wished he didn't need to check the trees that formed the natural fence, not now. He normally put it off until spring. But with recent happenings, he felt that he couldn't put it off. Probably nothing would be wrong. But on the off chance something was… well he had plenty of enemies that also might try and band with Alice.

And not all of his enemies were as hospitable and submissive to violence as Fane.

About to leave the bedroom, he paused, his gaze directed back towards his dresser. He wavered in indecision for a moment before he walked over to it. Kneeling down he pulled the bottommost drawer out and reached under the folded clothes to feel for the leather holster. Once his fingers brushed it, he pulled it free, and looked down at the gun resting innocently in the holster. A flicker of something like a repressed flood of memories passed and died in his eyes, and he pulled the pistol free, checking the chamber and finding it still loaded.

He dropped the holster back into the drawer and stood up, nudging the drawer shut with his foot. The pistol he tucked inside his jacket. Without a second thought, he strode out of the room, down the stairs, into the ballroom, and out onto the terrace.

His boots slopped through the smatterings of slushy snow and mud as he made his way across the grounds towards the nearest horse he could see. When he reached Andes, the white hulk of a gelding, he greeted him with a firm pat and grinned as he nudged away the nose searching for treats. "Come on now, be good and I might." He informed the horse before placing his hands on the animals back and giving a jump that vaulted him on up.

Settling in, he turned the horse towards the side of the cypress trees that blocked off the property Alice lived on, just on the other side. Urging the horse faster, he began to scan the trees as they moved progressively farther away from the chateau.

Roy turned away from the windows of the library as Edward vanished from his view. Silently he hoped he'd be okay. Walking the short distance to the piano he sat down, his fingers trailing light touches over the keys to draw forth the faintest tinkling sounds of notes. "Is it too soon, I wonder, to think of asking him to marry me?" He asked the inanimate musical instrument. "Would he marry me?"

Sighing he got up and walked back over to snag the book from the couch where he'd left it so he could watch Ed's departure. Holding it in one hand he walked out of the library and down the flight of stairs. He turned to go towards the garage, telling himself it was only because Nitro was down there still that he felt comfortable. Even if deep down he knew he was developing a major soft spot for the little filly.

Letting himself in he couldn't hold back the smile that broke his face as Flame woke up to see him and scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping in her excitement, to bound over to him with a thrilled squeal. "Don't tell on me." Roy whispered as he leaned down to hug on her head as she butted at his stomach in a demand for attention.

Finally he managed to step around her, and he settled down against the wall farthest from the foal's mother who was watching them looking almost bored. For which he was very grateful. He'd rather her not be suspicious. Flame immediately sank down to lay pressed up against him with her head resting on his stretched out legs. Nitro ambled over and immediately tried to take a chunk out of Roy's book.

Roy swatted his nose with it, and smirked as Nitro backed up with a sneeze and a shake of his head. "Ed will kill me if you eat the book. Right before he kills you." He told the llama frankly. "Now either keep my other side warm, or go stand in a corner."

And with that, he opened the book again in a very dignified manner, holding it in his left hand so his right could rest on Flame's neck, scratching small circles in the soft down-like baby hair. He tried not to smile as Nitro lay down as well, but facing Roy… or rather, the book in Roy's hand.

"Maybe it's good that Ed isn't here right now. He'd be prepping me for a photo shoot." Roy muttered under his breath, and flipped a page. "Do you think he'd consider marrying me?" He suddenly asked of the llama who was still awake and still staring at the book.

Nitro twitched an ear, but otherwise did nothing.

"Thought so." Roy muttered, and smiled faintly.

He stayed there with his "duckling" and Nitro until his stomach began to rumble from hunger. Dislodging the filly who instantaneously shifted from being sleepy to wide awake as he stood up, he stretched his stuff muscles slowly and with a bit of a cough. Apparently the cold didn't sit well yet with his body. Closing the book he started towards the door, trying and failing not to smile as Flame bounded in his wake and circled around him as if determined not to let him get away this time. Nitro merely stared at Roy, his ears slowly falling sideways.

Roy had to turn with his back to the door in order to keep a hand out to keep Flame at bay so he could go back inside the home. "Now I'll be back again. You be a good girl, huh? I like well behaved ducklings." And he checked to see where Nitro was, "what's wrong with you?" He asked with a frown as Nitro continued to watch him with that unnerving gaze and those lopsided ears, making him almost look like a whipped dog. "You've been talking to this one too much." He decided, and quickly ducked out of the garage.

As he entered the kitchen he checked the time, finding it was only a little past noon. So he still had almost nine hours to wait until Edward would be back. Sighing heavily, he set the book aside and began to fix himself some lunch. He did hope that Edward wouldn't get too hungry out there. But just in case, he planned to make them a nice dinner and have it ready and hot when Ed returned.

Once his stew was simmering he walked away to let it do so. He still hadn't explored half of the place, and he'd lived here for quite a while. At least compared to how long he'd been in this world. So he let himself through one of the large doors that led into the true dining room. The one Ed never used.

Walking in he found the light switch, and the chandeliers flared to life. A glance up told him they were gas lit, much like the lights in the hallways. These chandeliers weren't crystal and electric lighting. They wouldn't have looked out of place in a castle. Looking away his eyes slid over the white cloth covered table that stretched longer than most of the tables that had been in Headquarter mess hall. The high backed chairs that accompanied it were also sheeted to protect them. The walls were similar to those in the ballroom, with the cedar wall supports with the engravings, and the creamy walls with the gold trimmings that seemed to glitter in the flickering light of the chandeliers. At the end directly opposite him, carved into the very wall, was a fireplace that stretched half the length of the table. The large opening in the wall was supported by smoothed stone lentils.

"How much wood would you need to light that damn thing?" Roy whispered into the echoingly empty room.

Walking around the table he approached the fireplace, finding it clean of any wood debris. He suspected Ed must have never used it. Or if he ever did, he always cleared it out clean. He doubted an occasion for lighting the huge thing would arise anytime soon. But he was impressed by the sheer size of everything in this dining room. If this chateau was small compared to a castle, he was almost scared to discover how much larger a castle would be. As well as the things in it.

Finally he made his way out of the dining room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Going back into the kitchen he stirred his stew and let it simmer a short while longer before he pulled it off the heat and spooned himself a bowl.

Grabbing his book off the counter he'd left it on and sitting down at the much smaller table he and Edward ate at, he began to eat while opening the book back up to the page he'd dog-eared. Propping it open in one hand he blew on his stew while he resumed reading.

Once he was finished he set aside his dishes and wandered over to the coat closet where he found the thickest jacket he could find and pulled it on. Only then did he wander back towards the terrace, letting himself out and closing the door behind him. Hopping up onto the railing and leaning back against one of the pillars he propped the book open against a bent leg while the other dangled over the edge. He resumed his reading again while waiting for Edward to come home.


	29. Chapter 29

I wish I knew where everyone had gone. It seems everyone's on a month long Spring Break and I want to go too. Gate knows I need a mental break after everything.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Nine

Edward had stopped after nearly four hours. He'd gone through approximately half of the line of trees that served as his property lines. The border between his estate and that of the one Alice resided on. So far everything seemed to be fine, for which he was very grateful. But he didn't feel comforted that he hadn't stumbled onto anything out of place. If Alice wasn't planning to knock down one of the trees, and good luck to her with that, he wondered what she would be up to. But still, he wasn't to the far end yet where the lake was. Where there was actually a gate that led out to the forest back behind. And he wanted to check that before he called it a day and left for home again.

For the present time he was resting the horse, as well as taking a break to eat one of the granola bars he'd brought along with him. He was sitting up in the branches of one of the rowans, the horse somewhere below him. And it was more difficult to sit up on a frost covered tree branch than one might think. Especially since his weight was so unequally distributed between automail appendages. He kept having to shift around so as not to slide off.

Reaching inside his jacket to grab another bar, his fingers brushed the cool metal of the revolver that was also there. Frowning just a bit, he pulled it out and stared down at it as he held it quite carefully in his hand. With a dark look and a sigh he put it back away. "Why…" he whispered under his breath and shook his head.

His appetite seemed to have vanished, and Ed wasn't surprised. So he swung his flesh leg over the branch and let his heavier automail one bring him back down to earth. He crunched down onto the frosty ground and went over to fetch his ride. Noticing with some amusement that several other horses were also coming over now. "Field trip." Ed muttered sarcastically, and clambered onto Andes again.

Rather patiently he waited for those horses intent on joining him to catch up, before he began to head the huge white beast he was on further along the tree line. He was sure that had he been of a mindset to enjoy this outing, and not of one to return quickly to Roy at the end of the day, that he would have very much enjoyed the calendar worthy picture all of them made as they cut paths through the snow. But he didn't have much free time to lend to such fancies.

"You know one of these days Alice's perfect little world is going to come crashing in around her deluded head, and all because of her obsession for Roy. And I'm going to be there enjoying every taste of chaos. I just wish she'd hurry up making a fool of herself so I can stop waiting on her and wondering. She's wasting my time."

The horses made no comment one way or the other. Not that he expected them to.

"And then Roy and I are getting on a plane for Bora Bora and having a celebration."

He earned himself a flick of an ear.

"And then Fane… oh what I'd like to do to him. He just keeps going on and on and on about Romania this and Romania that. Woe is Romania. It wouldn't be so woe if there were actually any good leaders for it right now. Romania screwed itself over with that one. And then they don't listen when they're given help. I'd like to tell him where he can shove those damn census documents of his. Or maybe I'll shove them up there for him."

Edward rolled his eyes, and tried and failed to withhold a lamenting sigh. Oh to be free of Fane, the joys it would bring. And so far he'd had no complaints filed against him for his little "heart-to-heart" with the sallow, spidery ambassador. He was almost disappointed by this. Perhaps he should have smacked the man about just a bit. There was always a next time. Especially now that he finally didn't give a damn.

Roy changed everything…

And no one but Roy and Alphonse knew what it meant that he was no longer going to hold back, with that just exist and get by mentality. Only Roy and his brother knew that taking cover was probably a good idea.

"And then I need a vacation. I deserve a vacation." Edward muttered, and nudged his horse with his heels. "No slowing down, we're not done yet." He chided the animal who seemed to sigh and moved faster once more. "You can't fool me, I know you idiots go charging up and down the whole place all the time. This is nothing."

Edward relaxed into the pace and let his eyes drag over the cypress as he passed them by. So far so good. But he had to make sure. And he began to court the thought of stringing an electric wire between the trees as well. Electric fences worked so well against Alice as they'd already discovered.

What a shame he'd missed it.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

Roy was still sitting outside on the marble railing, reading his book. Though right now it was laying forgotten against one leg, held gingerly in his hand. He wasn't reading the words, but looking out across the expansive backyard where only snow, trees, and the gray blobs of horses far off were the only things out there. He knew it was too early to be expecting Edward to be back. But he still was hopeless, and he knew and accepted it.

"You better be back before midnight." He whispered into the still air. Though really, he knew that even a half hour past the time that Edward had said to expect him back, that he'd be worrying. And there was little he could do in such a case.

One, pace and fret.

Two, pace, fret, and do what he did the time Edward had run off. And he was _not_ looking to a repeat experience of that little stress-inducer.

Yeah… those were pretty much his only options.

Turning back to his book to try and keep his mind off of it, it worked until about the thirteenth chapter. And then he was back to staring out at the still Edward-less horizon.

"This is stupid." He muttered, and closed the book. Balancing it onto the railing he hopped off and turned to walk down the flagstone stairs and into the yard. Hoping a short walk would settle his nerves, he shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk in no particular direction, no particular pattern. Just to walk.

It lasted for all of twelve minutes before Roy was fleeing back to the terrace.

One of the horses had caught wind of him, and was determined to eat him.

He made it up the steps just in time, and was glad that the horse seemed to have no inclination to join him. Apparently Edward had made it clear that the terrace was off-limits to all animals but Nitro. Turning, and panting, he glared at Jasper who seemed to deflate. "I'm not your food." He told the animal firmly, and then recalling the last time he'd been near the horse, added, "and I don't have food either."

Edward could tell him all he wanted that the horses wouldn't eat him, but he knew better.

Roy edged back over to the railing to grab his book. Shooting Jasper a suspicious look, he climbed up onto the railing again and resumed his reading. Only to jump, and in a show of bravery, remain sitting where he was as the horse gleefully pranced over to where he was sitting, and stick his nose towards Roy's pockets. "Nothing in there for you." He said firmly, and batted at the intruding nose.

Jasper's head ducked down in a sneeze, before he looked up at Roy with eyes that wouldn't have been out of place on a Spaniel.

"You helped me out once, that means one treat. You're not helping me now by staying here, no treats!" He told the animal firmly, and turned back to his book pointedly. When the horse started to make a sound almost like a pathetic whine, he glared sideways at the equine. "Do be quiet."

Jasper was suddenly silent, and settled for staring at Roy with those Spaniel eyes.

Roy was unnerved by the disarming cute appeal of eyes like that, and he frantically began to read as if his life depended on it. And while eventually Jasper stopped the constant staring to graze, and then resume staring, and graze again, the horse never left Roy's side. He couldn't figure out why not, but he was slowly beginning to tune Jasper out. Even if it did still unsettle him.

"This is all _her_ fault." Roy groused under his breath, thinking of the young filly waiting for him in the garage. It was all Flame's fault for being too cute. And all her fault that she'd grow into a freakishly oversized animal. Yet he knew he was smiling even as he thought of her.

Yep, it was all her fault.

Roy turned back to his book with a shake of his head and a small cough, trying to whittle the hours away through the words on the pages. He pulled his jacket around him tighter. He wasn't used to a cold like this that just clutched in around you.

**Grounds - Glass Rose Chateau**

"I really am liking the sound of Bora Bora right now." Edward muttered as he huddled in his jacket while the wind picked up around him. "Why is it that every winter I vow to move to a tropical paradise for the winter, and yet I always stay here for it? There's something wrong with that."

The horses didn't seem to care. And yes, he was still being trailed by a quarter of the bloody herd. He knew they didn't mind the snow. And if they ever did, they dealt with it on their own.

"Take my mind off of it…" Edward mused as he continued to scan the trees for abnormalities. "What should I think about… the pathetic movie choices this year? I suppose I _could_ go take Roy to see Cinderella, it might not be too bad. Though after Bambi… I dunno."

He had sworn Alphonse to secrecy upon pain of death that he was never to tell anyone that he had cried when Bambi's mother was shot. Al had found it hilarious that he'd cried. "I still want to hit him for that." Edward realized in sudden shock. "I _should_ hit him for that."

Considering whether or not to hit his brother, Edward barely noticed the cold anymore as he continued along.

He was wrapped up in it until at last he reached the small lake that was at the far end of the property. It wasn't iced over, which was fortunate. Not that it ever bothered the horses if it was. They always smashed right through it. And around the lake were several large trees that in summer would toss shade out over the entire thing, and scattered around the banks were the rose bushes.

Edward walked his horse up to the edge of the lake before he hopped down, and walked over to inspect one of the bushes. The delicate white roses that were nearly transparent were near to full-bloom, even in the beginning of winter. Smiling he straightened, and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked around the lake, towards the high gate about fifty feet away.

It was erected between the cypress, and made of solid wood boards. As he reached it he tested the hinges and the lock, finding everything still functioning fine. He hadn't brought the key with him, but then he hadn't planned on going out into the forest beyond. Maybe at another date, but certainly not now. Looking up towards the sky, he guessed he had maybe a little less than two hours to get back home before Roy would start to worry. It was enough time. He wouldn't need to check anything on the way back.

"Seems Alice isn't of the mindset to break and enter again." Edward said to himself as he turned around and began to walk back towards the lake and where he'd left the horses.

And then he paused, stopping where he was and looking around. He _had_ left the horses. But now he couldn't spot a single one. Swearing under his breath he raised his fingers to his lips and whistled. Loudly. He knew even if they'd taken off at a dead run, they'd hear him. And they knew better than to not come when he called.

He resumed walking back towards the lake to wait for them to return, muttering darkly under his breath about Al having something to do with their random disobedience.

He barely had time to register the movement in the rose bush, or the tracks he'd not seen before on the snow, before he was diving out of the way even as he was drug over backwards. Edward landed with a sharp gasp, and brought his automail arm around to smash against the jaws of the canine that had latched into his jacket and begun to try and tear it from him. The animal yelped and tumbled over several times as Edward rolled to his feet.

"What the fuck?!" Edward gasped as he got a good luck at the beast for the first time. "There aren't supposed to be any left in England." As a matter of fact, the only place he knew of off-hand that had a large population was- Ed blinked, and ducked aside as the wolf regained his feet and charged him again.

At least now he knew why the horses had run off.

Eyes narrowing as the wolf spun around to face him again, he reached bitterly into his jacket. He had hoped… but there was a reason he trusted his instincts. The pistol came into his hand as if it jumped into his grasp, and he pulled it out quickly. Without wasting a second to consider anything he was about to do, he squeezed the trigger.

The gunshot split and echoed in the cold air, and on the wind.

The wolf collapsed into a heap only a yard away, blood beginning to trickle out onto the snow.

Edward's fingers were white as they gripped onto the pistol that almost felt to be humming in his grasp. He had it still pointing at the beast, even though it no longer stirred. He had had a clean shot, and he knew how to shoot. His eyes flashing yet dark, he lowered the gun, but did not put it away. "I only know a few places it could have come from." He whispered, and he was not at all happy about what it meant.

Whirling around he found the tracks of the wolf, and with quiet rage rolling off of him, he followed them. All the way to the side of the fence he hadn't checked, just a short ways past the gate that led out into the forest. Kneeling down, he inspected the chute that ran underneath the trees to provide an opening. Running a hand over the dirt, he closed his eyes. It was all he had needed to confirm his suspicions. "This time, it goes too far." He whispered as he stood up.

Making his way back over towards the wolf, he whistled again for one of his horses. This time with much more demand in the tone. And he waited for one to arrive, as he stared down darkly at the unmoving lump of fur. "Welcome to the world of politics." He told the dead animal bitterly, and looked up. "Unfortunate for you to have fallen into the inner world that wishes me dead. I wonder who… but I have a way to find out."

At that moment he suddenly remembered the gun he was still holding, and he raised it up, gazing down on it with a guarded, almost searching expression. He had never thought he'd ever see the day where he'd actually need to use this damnable relic.

But _he_ must have.

Settling down onto the ground to wait, Edward let his eyes close.

Yes… _he_ must have. All those years ago. He'd been standing there in the private hallway, the one where the press was not allowed…

_Edward ignored the presence of the uniformed guards positioned every few feet along the brightly lit hall of the secure sector of the courthouse. And for as much as he knew, they were ignoring him. He was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest in a picture of self-defense and warding off of social interaction, and his jaw set. No one tried to interject themselves onto his enforced seclusion. _

"_Mister Elric?" The voice came from his right._

_Edward looked over, his golden eyes reserved and void of emotion as they regarded the bailiff. "That time?" He asked, voice remarkably bland, never once betraying the turmoil he felt inside._

"_Yes, sir." _

_He straightened from against the wall, not noticing, nor really caring, as one of the guards came over. He followed the bailiff back inside the courtroom where other familiar faces were also trickling back in. The guard accompanied him over to one of the seats behind a barrister's table. And he sat down, the guard hovering next to him protectively yet in every effort to be invisible._

_For the next five minutes, Edward tuned out the drone of the Court. And everyone else. He only flickered back to some semblance of life when the bailiff escorted in the defendant. One Raymond Muravyov. Their eyes met for the briefest of prolonged moments, and then Ed tore his gaze away._

_Raymond took his seat, regret flashing across his face as Edward looked away from him. Regret, and determination. _

"_Have you anything left to say for yourself before the sentencing is handed down?" The judge asked, peering down at Raymond._

_Edward looked over at Raymond, but did not receive a gaze in return. _

_Raymond stood, and shook his head softly. "I accept responsibility."_

_The sting of tears at the corners of Ed's eyes only made him grab frantically for his anger. And it was all he could do not to stand up and flee out of this place._

"_Very well. On the counts in the indictment, the Court finds you guilty of all charges. The least of which not including espionage, murder,-"_

_Edward stopped listening at this point. He'd heard the charges too many times._

"_-You are hereby sentenced to serve life in prison at the IK-10 institution."_

_Edward knew more followed, but he was distracted by the guard tapping his shoulder. Glancing over he raised an eyebrow._

"_We should leave."_

"_Not yet." He snapped softly, and as the gavel struck down he stood. "Now we can leave." And he started towards the exit, keeping his eyes as far away from Raymond as he could. And damn the thought of not being obvious about it._

_Raymond watched Edward's retreat, and knew he had to act now. He'd never get to say goodbye otherwise. And before anyone could stop him, he'd stepped after the blond and pulled him aside away from the guard that had been watching over him._

"_What are you-!" Edward flared up, glaring indignantly at the man who'd betrayed him. _

_Raymond pressed something into the blond's hands. "I accept my responsibility, Edward. This is all I have left to give. I hope it's never needed… I hope it's enough."_

_Their gazes locked, Edward barely had time to let Raymond's words sink in before the man was being dragged away. And he stared after the dark-haired reflection, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. Then looking down at his hands, he raised the pistol towards him. The light caught the shine of the steel, and reflected in Ed's eyes. Raymond's pistol. The man had never been without it. _

_And somehow, it ended up being brought home with him, and stowed away in the hopes it might be forgotten. But never in the many trash bins that had so sorely tempted Edward._

He must have known, Edward surmised, that maybe the day would come where he'd need a weapon to protect himself with. After all, Raymond had known of his enemies. And Edward hadn't exactly lost many of them over the years. He had no idea what had driven him to take the gun with him today. Not really. Nothing to explain that deep seated instinct that had told him to grab it, to stop forgetting its existence. But perhaps, it was because Edward was only now realizing just how much danger Alice's dark desire could bring about for him.

A soft whinny brought his attention crashing back to the matter pressing on him, and he smiled as Andes returned. The horse looked wary of the dead wolf, but clearly trusting in Edward enough to have come back.

Getting to his feet, and stowing the pistol away after one last thoughtful look, Edward reached down to grab the dead animal and bear it over to the gelding who snorted and swished his tail in uncertainty, but stood still at Ed's request. He lifted the carcass up onto the back, and hopped up behind. He needed to take home his little trophy prize.

The pistol against him inside his jacket was a comforting weight.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

It was nearing dusk, and Roy was finishing the last touches on the blackened salmon and asparagus. He checked on the salmon again as it continued to cook in the oven, but a quick look was all it took to tell that it still needed another minute or so. So turning away he finished setting the table. He set out the candles and the wine, and then the timer finally went off.

Walking back over to the oven he pulled the salmon out, now that it was finally done. Setting the pan quickly onto the stove he closed the oven door while waving the potholder in front of his face in an attempt to waft away the excessive heat as he turned the oven dial to 'Off'. Yes, he was the Flame Alchemist, but he didn't exactly use his flames on himself to try and dry up his eyes.

He checked to be sure that the food was all ready to cool off enough to be served, before he left the kitchen.

He made his way back outside onto the terrace, barely registering Jasper's continued presence just beyond the terrace railing. Walking up to it he placed his hands on the cold marble and looked out through the darkness, trying to spot sight of his treasured love coming back on that cliché white horse of his. But it was not he who, almost twenty minutes later, spotted Edward coming back. It was Jasper.

Roy watched as Jasper took off at last across the grass, dashing off into the darkness. Only to several minutes later reappear beside that monster of a white horse that Edward was astride. But as the blond came closer, Roy could tell something was off.

Quickly he hurried down the steps, and over to Edward's side as the blond pulled the horse up. He didn't even register the presence of Jasper, who was gleefully sniffing at him, or that of the white horse that would have put a giraffe to shame. Instead he was catching Edward who slipped down into his arms with a tired sigh. Folding his arms around the exhausted blond he looked up at the furry thing slung across in front of where Ed had been sitting. "What happened?"

Edward, who had been more than happy to relax against Roy, looked over his shoulder and scowled. "New rug. We'll leave it out here tonight and then I'm strapping it to the car roof and driving it to someone who needs it more."

Roy pulled away, taking Ed's cold cheeks in his hands. "But _what_ happened?"

"It attacked me." Edward said simply, and as alarm flashed across Roy's face, he quickly kissed the man. "I'm fine."

Roy looked Edward over, taking in the ripped jacket, and panic clenched at him. "What?! Edward-"

Edward placed a finger over his lips. "I took care of it. Let me handle this, it's going to get messy before it gets better. You know how I am."

"But this isn't Amestris!" Roy protested. "We have no alchemy."

"No." Ed smiled at him. "But I don't need it for this. And besides… do you remember what you once told me? About those flowers I created?"

Roy nodded, only feeling a bit pacified.

"That I could create something beautiful out of what could have been a disaster." And Edward leaned in to catch Roy's lips in another kiss, and slipped his tongue in as Roy's lips parted in invitation. Sliding his tongue against Roy's he shared in Roy's moan and melted up against the larger frame as he kissed Roy languidly but passionately. And when the lovely torture of tongues, lips, teeth, and the hands mapping bodies was too much Edward broke away for air, his panting breath mingling with Roy's. "Let me make it beautiful."

Roy shivered at the whispered words, and groaned deep in his throat as Ed's hands began to trail down again, and then dipped up under his shirt to begin sliding those teasing fingers up his chest. He had never believed his wraith-like body to be anything but forgettable until Edward had first touched him. And those fingers still breathed life into him. "Okay." He gave in. "But don't try doing everything alone. Promise me you'll let me in."

Edward turned his head, to kiss the palm of the hand that had stroked fingers along his cheek. "You already are." He replied, and let his gaze find Roy's again.

"Come on." Roy groaned, pulling away reluctantly. "As much as I'd love to ravish you out here in the snow, there are big monsters around." He nodded towards the horses. "And I have dinner ready."

Edward licked his lips, his eyes dancing in amusement. "And dessert?"

"After dinner." Roy said firmly, though a delicious hot shiver ran down him.

Edward grinned, "I'll save lots of room then." And he quickly turned to yank the wolf down off of Andes, before he allowed Roy to drag him back towards their home. He needed a good meal, and what was certain to be a very tasty dessert before he got some sleep. He knew he'd be needing it. He planned to have a very eventful day tomorrow.

And when he hung up his jacket before rejoining Roy, he hid the pistol inside of it. He had a feeling that hiding it back where he'd kept it all these years would be a waste of time. The horizon was slowly gaining storm clouds. Ones of the variety he hadn't seen in a long time.


	30. Chapter 30

I've just realized I haven't eaten anything in almost 24 hours. I think I should go find something to eat before my stomach eats itself. I hope those of you still remaining enjoy this, Roy's being an absolute goober. I love him for it.

* * *

Chapter Thirty

Edward was awake before Roy the next morning, which was usual for him. And while he would have enjoyed a lie in next to the warm body of his lover, he knew he had things to accomplish today. Things that unfortunately did not include repeats of last night. So he carefully disentangled their entwined bodies and slipped from beneath the covers. He tucked the edges in around Roy so the man wouldn't get cold, and grabbed their discarded clothes on his way to the bathroom. He stuck them in the hamper before climbing into the shower and turning the setting on 'sauna'.

After he'd finished and dried off he went back into the bedroom to pull one of his business suits out of the closet. He quickly stuffed the tie back into the closet however. He wasn't feeling like being too official. Glancing over his shoulder at the still sleeping Roy, he smiled faintly. At times that man seemed to be capable of sleeping through anything. He dressed, and went back into the aired out bathroom to comb out his hair and pull it back into a low ponytail that he secured with a leather thong.

"Now let's see…" Edward cast Roy another look as he crossed the bedroom and left through the door. Heading down to one of the spare rooms he let himself in. He walked over to the bed and tugged back the covers only to pull free the sheet. He didn't exactly have spares sitting around anywhere, and he was not dirtying his own sheets for this. Gathering it up into a thick rope he slung it around his neck and left the room.

He didn't go back to his bedroom, but made his way down the staircase, taking the stairs by two's, and making his way to the ballroom as he hit the landing. His steps weren't hurried, but they were purposeful as he walked across the dance floor. Letting himself outside he made his way down the short flight of terrace steps and out into the fresh layer of snow that had fallen overnight. The clouds above were looking ready to pour another helping of snow onto the land, and Edward knew he wouldn't be able to get away today without putting chains on the car tires.

Reaching the body of the wolf, dusted in snow, he laid the sheet out next to the body. Walking around he grabbed hold of the furry pelt and began to roll it over and over until it was centered on the sheet. Gathering up the edges Edward wrapped the wolf up and then bent to haul it into his arms. Grunting a bit at the weight, he began to make his way to his car.

Once he reached the black sedan he hoisted the animal up onto the roof and let it sit there while he went in through the front door of his home to grab his car keys. Walking back out he opened the trunk of the vehicle and grabbed the plastic bag that held the chains for his tires and tossed it aside. Next he grabbed two bungee cables. The next few minutes he spent securing the dead animal to the roof of the car. There wasn't any way he was putting it anywhere inside the car.

After he was sure that the wolf wouldn't slip off, he pulled the tire chains from their sack and started on that tedious task.

When he finally had the car ready to go he put the empty sack back in the trunk and slammed the lid shut before turning the garage. Opening the door, he left it open as he motioned Nitro over. The mare was still asleep, but Flame was wide awake and watching him with curiosity. Though she didn't make any move to get up from where she was laying. A bit amusedly, Edward figured that the filly was waiting for someone other than him to come by and see her.

Nitro had ambled over, and now stood by his human, eyeing the hem of the business jacket with interest.

Edward glanced over at the llama, caught the look, and immediately glared at the spotted animal. "Don't you dare, or I'll brush you."

Nitro gave a panicked squall at the word "brush", and immediately bolted out into the front yard. Snow flying up behind him as he made his escape.

Smirking, Ed watched Nitro vanish. "Intended result at least." He had needed to get the llama out. He needed to get the horses out too, but he would wait until after breakfast. If only so Roy would help him. He had a feeling that it would make Flame very happy indeed to have Roy come down and be there with her on her first day of the rest of her life out there in the world he offered them.

Shutting the garage door he let himself into the house via the garage and tried not to mind that his boots were tracking in moisture. He would have no choice but to pull out the mop later today and give the floors a thorough cleaning. And in a house this big, it was a laborious chore. But it had to be done, and as the chateau had been given to him free of charge or stipulations, he could live with the cleaning.

Entering the kitchen he began to figure out something for breakfast.

Upstairs Roy had just finished dressing after waking up to find Edward gone. But he didn't mind, he knew Edward was usually gone in the mornings. His confidence was not in the least bit damaged by the fact that he commonly woke up alone. He was humming to himself as he left their room, and didn't at all care.

Making his way down the stairs he followed his nose into the kitchen. He could already smell whatever Ed was cooking. And he was starving. His body was responding to being fed regularly and actually being able to keep the nutrients. He was hungry, and his appetite was causing him to start filling out under Ed's cuisine. But he could still count every rib, still knew he looked like nothing but sharp angles and corners shoved into a tight skin. The only reason he knew he was making progress was because those sharp contours were less defined.

He knew he wasn't very attractive anymore, not like this. But Edward still touched and loved him as if he couldn't see the flaws. And he was grateful for it. He just wished his body would hurry up and return to what it used to be. What Ed deserved.

Sighing and shaking his head a bit, he merely vowed to eat as much as he could this morning without over-stuffing himself.

Walking into the kitchen he smiled as he saw Ed completely focused on whatever he was stirring on the stove. So he quietly snuck over behind the blond, and when he was in position, wrapped his arms quickly around the man's middle and buried his head in Ed's neck.

Edward gave a small jump and would have glared if Roy hadn't chosen that exact moment to start pressing kisses against his neck. "Roy…" he murmured as a shiver ran through him. He could feel his body already responding to the kisses, and he was in the middle of trying to cook something for Gate's sake! …he'd forgotten what exactly it was he was trying to cook. His grip on the stirring spoon was slackening.

Roy chuckled and nuzzled into Ed's neck. "Ed…" he whispered against the back of his beloved's neck before lightly biting at the flesh.

The spoon clattered from Edward's hand and his head fell forward to give Roy more room. "The food…" He remembered hazily.

Roy leaned in to whisper into Ed's ear. "I'm hungry, don't burn it."

Edward shivered, and turned his head to gaze into Roy's dark eyes, their lips a breath apart from touching. "You're distracting me." He accused, though his accusatory tone was verging on pathetic as he tried to fight back the urge to pounce on the man and food be damned.

Roy smirked, his eyes glittering in lust and amusement. "This is only the beginning." And he leaned in the bare amount to press their lips together. As he felt Ed move to deepen the kiss he quickly pulled away, grinning wickedly at the look on Edward's face. "Not yet, love. The food's about to burn. I should know."

Ed huffed and grabbed the spoon back up, trying to ignore his need to jump Roy here and now. "Flame alchemists." He grumbled under his breath and began to stir the potatoes again.

Roy smiled, and leaned in to kiss Ed's cheek chastely before walking over to deal with getting himself something to drink. "But love, I'm _the_ Flame Alchemist. Or, I was."

"When I was under your command I swear it felt like there were fifty of you." Edward admitted as he began to scrape the potatoes out of the pan and into a dish.

"How so?" Roy queried as he finished pouring himself a glass of apple juice.

Ed glanced over at him, and looked away as he realized that looking at Roy right now was working against trying to convince his libido to calm down. "You usually always knew what I was up to, or managed to find me somewhere. At least during all the times where it actually mattered. The times when I actually needed you, or needed you to talk to me even if it just made me mad, I needed it. At times I had to wonder if one man was actually that good, and you are."

With a smile, Roy walked back over to him. "I cared enough for my team, and you, to be that good."

"I was on your team."

"Perhaps." Roy agreed with a small inclination of his head. "But do you truly think that there didn't come a point in time where I didn't see you as such?"

"And when did this happen?" Edward asked him, daring to look over now. Now that he felt more in control. At least until Roy stripped it from him.

Barely having to think about it, Roy answered almost immediately. "When you turned in your pocket watch and left. Yes, you took it back again, but I realized then that you would always be your own person. Working for you. I was just a help that yes, was convenient, but not necessary. I didn't see you as part of a team anymore."

Edward smiled faintly, and turned back to cooking the waffles. "I still have my watch. It doesn't work anymore, but I have it. One of those things I keep if only to remind myself that my past was real."

"Well I'm living proof for you." Roy smiled back at him. "And unlike that watch, I won't stop working just because I enter a different world."

Edward sniggered appreciatively. "Good, I'd hate for you to stop working. Whatever would I do with a lifeless doll?"

"Never a kink I was into." Roy shrugged.

Edward hit him. "Not like that!"

Roy grinned at him, and stuck his tongue out.

"Good Gate you're impossibly perverted sometimes." Edward shook his head.

Roy inclined his head in agreement. "You don't seem to complain though." He pointed out, and to prove his point, ran his fingers down the small of Ed's back and increasingly downward.

Ed's grip on the counter tightened, and he glared back at Roy. "If your breakfast burns because you're teasing me, it's not my fault."

"Oh?" Roy grinned at him, and took his hand away. "Just you wait."

"Wait for what?"

Roy flashed him an innocent grin. He didn't know what had gotten into him, but he had this incredible need to tease Edward, play with him. And it was working out very well so far. More than a bit evilly he wondered what condition Ed would be in after a day of being teased by kisses and caresses but nothing further. "Oh, nothing."

"Roy." Edward frowned at him.

Roy smirked at him, and grabbed one of the chunks of seasoned potato between two fingers. "You'll understand soon enough. You _are_ a genius after all." And he popped the potato into his mouth, chewing with an appreciative moan.

Ed watched him, his grip on the counter tightening and he swallowed hard. Was Roy... _teasing_ him? Deciding he'd wait a bit longer before coming to a conclusion about what Roy was up to, he suddenly grinned at the man and turned back to the waffles.

Once he had cooked everything, pointedly ignoring the looks he could feel Roy directing at him from the table, he brought it over so they could eat. Roy had already set the table.

Edward finished serving himself before he looked across the table at Roy. "I'm going to move Camira and Flame outside. I thought you could help me with your duckling?"

Roy tried not to smile, he did, but he couldn't help it. It was Flame's fault. All her fault. "As long as you don't let the mom eat me."

"She won't eat you, she's a vegetarian!" Edward protested, sure that he'd gone over this with Roy once before.

"Yeah, so say the people who haven't been eaten by the horses. The only reason there's no documentation is because no one's ever survived."

Edward chuckled, and shook his head. "Crazy as you are, I can't help but love you."

Shooting Ed a charming smile, he cut into his waffle. "It's because I'm crazy. But not about that."

Ed shook his head again, and chose not to comment as he began to eat. Sometimes Roy needed to be ignored.

Roy watched Ed for a minute or two, before grinning to himself and stabbing himself another mouthful as he reached one foot up to rub it against the inside of Ed's calf. He kept his eyes on Ed the entire time, and smiled innocently as Ed's head shot up and the blond stared at him with slightly wide eyes. "What?"

"You know what." Edward said and cleared his throat, right before he jumped in his chair as that foot made its way up his knee. "Good thing it's cold outside." He muttered, shot Roy a glower, and turned back to his breakfast as Roy laughed.

Roy eventually stopped teasing Ed, he hadn't let his foot go any higher, but he was trying to figure out if Ed's sigh had been from relief or disappointment. Either way, it meant he was doing to Ed exactly what he wanted. And he finished eating his breakfast before he helped Ed clear away the table.

"Come on." Edward said as he started off to leave the kitchen. "Time to go move the monsters."

"And then what?" Roy asked as he followed the blond, albeit a bit nervously.

Edward glanced his way, and smiled. "I have someone to pay a visit to. And a few old friends to call before I make my visit. I'm going to need Alice followed and watched."

"What sort of friends?" Roy asked as he reached out to take Ed's hand into his own, linking their fingers together.

"The shady kind." Ed admitted, and gave a small sigh. "They've been a big help to me whenever the rare occasion does come up that I need help."

Roy tried to picture what exactly these friends might look like. He was having trouble getting past the imagery of the men who Raymond had wrote about in his letter. He gave up when Edward opened the door to the garage and they walked inside.

Edward immediately let go of Roy's hand in order to step out of the way before Flame knocked him over in her enthusiasm to get to Roy.

Roy couldn't help the grin that came over him as he braced himself before he was bowled over. And his hands were quickly occupied with petting one overly excited filly who was nuzzling into his stomach. Kneeling down onto one knee he caught her muzzle and grinned at her as she struggled to pull away but soon gave up and settled for staring back at him. "That's right, calm down." He told her, and moved one hand to stroke along her neck.

Edward grinned, and walked over to grab the camera from where he'd hidden it here in the garage. And before Roy could take notice, he clicked the shutter.

Roy's eyes widened, and he looked over at Ed the same time Flame did. "You little sneak!" He accused.

"I'm almost jealous." Edward grinned, waving the camera around. "You two are so cute together."

Roy got up, resting one hand atop Flame's head. "Care to join us?"

Ed shook his head, "no. Turn around so I can hide the camera again."

"No." Roy grinned at him. "Come 'ere, Fullmetal."

"I'm not falling for that." Edward grinned back, and stuffed the camera in one pocket. "Enough playing for right now. Let's get them back out into the backyard. Just walk and she'll follow, even if she doesn't want to at first."

So Roy waited until Edward was leading the mare out, before he followed. And he noticed that Flame was quite readily disobeying her mother's instructions to keep up in order to stay beside him. So he hurried it up a bit before the mare got testy.

Flame bounded after him in glee.

As Roy walked outside however, she immediately stopped. Yet he merely gave her a backwards glance before he kept following Edward, though at a safe distance behind the grown horse.

Flame shuffled and stomped and called after her human, but the man didn't come back to her. Yet she could still reach him… And then desire to be by him again overrode her nervousness, and she bolted after him with a neigh.

Roy looked back, saw her running after him, and swore. "No Flame, slow down!" He called out in a plead as she came within mere yards still running full tilt.

Edward tried to control his laughter behind one hand as Roy suddenly bolted past him, Flame hot on his heels. The arm nearest Camira was slung over her neck to give him support as he continued to laugh even harder. The mare herself appeared not to mind that her daughter was tearing across the snow after the human.

Roy quickly changed directions around a tree, and took off again as Flame skidded and scrambled to turn and follow him. He took off running after Ed again who was turning the corner of the house. He noticed the blond was looking back and laughing at him, but he could only glare as he ran past Ed, Flame gaining on him again.

Looking back to judge the distance between he and the eager filly, he looked back around just in time to crash right into Nitro.

The llama didn't even bother to move from where he was standing, having come over to see what the commotion was. Not even when the human crashed into his side.

Roy somehow lost his footing, slipped under Nitro's belly, and landed on the opposite side on his back completely covered in snow.

Edward was now immobile on the ground laughing his head off and clinging to one of Camira's forelegs for support as tears of laughter clouded his eyes. His laughter only increased as Flame pranced over to begin licking at Roy's face.

Nitro stood there looking utterly perplexed at the situation.

Roy spluttered and tried to shoo Flame off. Wiping at his slobbered face he began to ease himself up off the ground. At least he'd gotten his breath back. Standing back up he could still hear Edward laughing himself silly, and he shook his head at the blond before glaring at Nitro. "Oh go on with you." He said, making shooing motions with his hand.

Nitro gave him a piercing look, his ears falling sideways again before he walked off.

Roy gave him a confused look, what was up with the llama lately? And then he turned to look at Edward, smiling as he saw that the blond had started pulling himself back together. Even if he was out of breath. "You okay?" He asked lightly, not going any nearer since Ed was next to the horse.

Edward only cracked up laughing again as he staggered to his feet. "Are you?"

"Oh shut up." Roy rolled his eyes.

Edward only laughed some more. "You should have seen it! It was priceless! You just went 'whoosh!' right under Nitro."

"I felt the whoosh." Roy agreed, trying to resist laughing, but ultimately failing. Yep, it was all Flame's fault. But oh did he think she was the cutest animal he'd ever seen.

Ed kept laughing as he finished leading the way. This time without any more mishaps. As soon as he had the electric wire hooked up again they walked over towards the terrace.

"Now how do I get her to leave me alone?" Roy asked as the mare was sent ambling off.

Edward smiled over at him. "Just wait for it. Her mother will call, and instinctively Flame will have to answer her before you. At least until she doesn't need milk anymore."

And Roy did wait, and eventually Flame did answer her dam's summons, though she looked rather put out about having to leave Roy's side. He watched her bound off, and smiled faintly. "That little thing will be the death of me."

Edward grinned over at him. "Are you hurt at all?"

"Why're you asking me that while smiling?" Roy tried to sound upset, but failed as he was overcome by a small fit of laughter.

"Are you?"

"No."

Ed leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good. Thank you for that wonderful show, I've never seen anything like it. It was better than seeing Alice run into the electric fence."

"I should hope I'd be more entertaining than that harpy." Roy smiled, and tugged Edward into his embrace. "I'm so glad she didn't eat you."

"Alice or Camira?" Edward asked with a grin as he hugged Roy back, tucking his head down under Roy's chin.

Roy considered. "They both seem the carnivorous sort." He decided, running one of his hands down Ed's back in the slow petting motion that he knew the blond loved. He swore that sometimes Ed was a cat.

Ed chuckled softly, and relaxed up against Roy with a happy, contented smile. And Roy continued to hold him, even when his legs started getting tired from standing in one place so long. But he didn't relinquish his armful. Only when Edward moved to pull away at last did he loosen his embrace.

Ed smiled up at him, one hand reaching up to cup Roy's cheek. "I love you."

Roy smiled back. "I love you too." He replied and leaned in to catch Edward's lips in a slow kiss. It was unhurried, yet it still sent the blood racing in his veins as he tasted those lips, that tongue that met his as it slipped into the warm mouth. This time when he pulled away from the kiss, Edward was looking gloriously dazed.

"You _are_ teasing me." Edward whispered as he deliberately blinked twice, slowly, trying to get some coherence back.

Roy smirked at him. "Surely not, would I be so brave as to tease you?"

"Yes." Was the immediate answer.

"Just think of it as I'm giving you a little taste of what I want to do later." He said, leaning in again to brush a kiss along Ed's jaw. "I want you to hurry home." He continued, and moved his mouth to the skin right below Ed's ear. "So you can get me back for this."

Ed's growl was cut short as Roy began to kiss the tender spot those lips had kept brushing against. "Oh I will." He promised. "But that means I should leave soon so I can get back sooner."

Roy pulled away, smiling at Ed's groan. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Just make sure you do some reading." Edward told him. "Because once I'm done getting you back for this, you're not going to have any energy left to do anything but sleep."

"Promise?" Roy grinned at him.

"It's a guarantee." Ed informed him, and pulled away from Roy's grip with reluctance, but it was overridden by the desire to finish what he needed to do so he could get back to his tease of a lover. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Roy, but he wasn't complaining.

Roy's grin only grew, and he followed Edward back into the chateau.

Edward shuffled around in the coat closet as he grabbed his black military styled jacket, and then grabbed the pistol out of the ruined coat, and placed it inside the inside pocket of his jacket. It was hidden, but within reach.

Roy raised an eyebrow at the gun, but said nothing. He knew Ed had to have had one on him somewhere to have killed that wolf. The stain of blood on the fur had been as if the wolf had been shot. Yet he'd never even noticed Edward had a gun until just recently.

Edward saw the look, and shook his head. "I'm not expecting trouble… but after yesterday."

"You don't have to explain." Roy smiled at him in reassurance. "I'd rather you be safe. Since I'm not allowed to come."

Edward nodded, and wished he could take Roy. But right now the risks were too great. Especially considering his destination. "I'll be back when I'm through."

"I'll be waiting for you."

Ed smiled at him, and stepped forward to claim his kiss of goodbye. He made it quick, tried to ignore the hand on his ass, and winked at Roy as he drew away. "You can get the rest when I return."

Roy, who had pouted at the brevity of the kiss, though he knew Ed had been teasing him back a little, smiled and nodded. "Go on then, before I decide to kidnap you."

"Tempting." Edward admitted, and stepped towards the door. "Behave while I'm gone!" He called out as he exited, flashing Roy a smile before shutting the front door behind him and locking it.

Roy rolled his eyes. Behave? Now what fun was that? Looking around he decided that it was time to go enjoy the pool for a while. He figured Ed would be gone a few hours at the least. So he might as well swim around a bit before he moved forward with any other plans. And swimming would help put muscle back on him, muscle he needed to be able to use that gym of Ed's.

Meanwhile Edward was pulling down his driveway towards the gates, the wolf strapped firmly to the hood of the government car. He ironically realized it looked as if he had a human body up there, and he was suddenly more glad than usual of the plates on his car that, in addition to many things, meant he wouldn't get pulled over by the police. Though that would certainly be a topper to this little impending event. Explaining where he got a wolf in England.

Oh if only the common police would have believed him. But they had no idea just what went on in the political sphere. And Edward was about to step foot into it like he hadn't since Raymond's betrayal.


	31. Chapter 31

Okay... it's review answering time! Most of you know the drill, if you don't want to see what I say back to you, or you never said anything in the first place, start scrolling.

Lamia: New favorite little one? Now Ed really is jealous XD.

Bar-Ohki: I love it when there's hell to pay... I seem to have a desire to put some hell into stories sometimes.

moonstone: I'm sure Nitro would love a hug from you. Just don't mind if he tries to take a chunk or two out of you.

Vermillion: And smut shall be had, just not here XD. I hope my PM answered all that for you.

Koorii:I shall accept your apology... with duct tape. Oh dear, I must be on the same mental wavelength with you and your friend. But don't worry, I don't plan for her to suddenly become a black and white paint. Or do I.... one never knows with me. As far as the homosexuality views, it pretty much the same as what would have been at that time. Hence why Edward and Roy are never really seen "together" in public. And only Al knows about it. Edward only has been referring to Roy to others as his friend. The deal with Raymond is a bit more involved... but in short he kept things private too.

anmb: And how was the job search? Successful at all yet?

Cheru: Now wouldn't you just love Roy to tease _you_ like that?

GreedxEd: Wolf? What wolf? I thought it was that evil unicorn that Ed slayed... the one Alice was seeing XD.

B.D.: Drama and comedy? I need my own TNT showtime.

Mary: Good, I was laughing writing it. Like... maniacal laughing. It was frightening.

dragonguy: I suppose I could call you just "gay"... but somehow I think I'd get hit XD. Anywho, I'm glad you liked it.

E: Something bad? Now why would something bad happen just because things are going good right now and I have a certain reputation?

Choas: Alice and Fain officially are scared of you now.

mrawgirl: He's brown and white spotted... like he got caught in a chocolate factory explosion.

xwhitexspirit: Or else you'll give me a wedgie? Nuuuu! I be good tehehehe. Yes, Ed trying to explain the dead body would have been so much fun. Unfortunately diplomatic plates are good and bad all at the same time.

mutantpenguins: I was wondering where you two ran off to. And Edward says, very unconvincingly, that he's never strapped a dead body to the top of a car before.

Shinimigame: Yes, Ed is dense. Isn't he so lovable? You just want to whack him with a common sense hammer. And no, I'm not following the entire storyline of the movie or the show exactly. Some is the same, but I did change things here and there for my own strange desires.

vampiregirl: Thank you, and I will. I'd be afraid of what would happen to me if I did stop updating.

* * *

Maybe it's a bit early yet to breathe a sigh of relief. But I suppose I should take my moments of relief when I can. I was seriously getting worried there.

Lesse... news... anything important to cover... tomorrow is my last day of school, so that means I'll have a lot more time to type up all the things I've written. Chapters, oneshots, all that. It's all been my sanity lifeline over the past two weeks and it's time to get typed up and posted the fruits of my labor. Some of you know why I needed a sanity lifeline, and well, now you get to see the result. I seriously got so engrossed in it to keep me from getting overwhelmed that I was actually missing my notebook and pen at the memorial. But anywho, enough of that angsty stuff. I'll save the emo-ness for more emo oneshots.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well.

* * *

Chapter Thirty One

The windshield wipers squeaked and scraped back and forth across the glass, shooing away the flakes of snow that had begun to fall. Edward looked out into the gray and white world illuminated by car headlights and even less so, the dim lighting of the street lamps and the buildings. It was definitely broaching into winter here, and he tried not to feel too depressed that he wasn't on a beach near the equator for the winter.

He turned his car down a narrower street that served as one of his many shortcuts on blustery days like this. And it paid off, for soon he was avoiding the more congested traffic of those motorists driving slow because of the snowfall. He reached the prime minister's office not too long later. And he pulled past security to park his car and get out.

As Edward walked over to the door, he noticed the guard posted there looking with undisguised curiosity at the sheeted bundle on the roof of his car. "Americans can be so annoying." He said with a flippant wave of one hand towards the suspicious cargo.

And he stepped inside as the guard wondered whether or not he was joking.

Brushing snow from his shoulders Edward smiled as he walked into the offices, and was either waved at, or in Thomas's case, as soon as he entered the quarters all the advisors shared, was swooped in on. "Morning, Thomas."

"Sir." Thomas grinned as he looked his boss over. "You look better. Mister Banciu is still alive, is he not?"

Ed grunted and gave Thomas a look that quite plainly said, 'if only you knew'. "Well…" he let it hang there as he stepped further inside, heading towards his desk.

Thomas's eyes grew wide. "Did you?" He practically gasped as he hurried after his boss.

Trying not to smile so cunningly, Edward glanced over his shoulder at his assistant. "No. And while I never thought I'd say this, I'm glad of it. I need to use him for one last thing."

"And that would be…?"

Edward sat regally down into his leather appointed office chair, and gave Thomas a pointedly stern look over the top of the phone receiver he grabbed while one finger dialed without looking. "I could go for some coffee. Is the prime minister in yet?"

"No, something about a snowplow rollover on the bridge." Thomas said as he made to turn. "Any specifics on the coffee? Or as you normally have it?"

"Normal." Edward said shortly and placed the phone to his ear, watching with an almost hawkish expression as Thomas walked away and the other advisors buried themselves deeper in their work. He knew most had evaluations coming up soon, and the stacks of documents on their desk were loath to be ignored any longer.

"_What?"_ The male voice answering the other line was abrupt, to the tune of someone just having been woken up by the ringing.

Edward merely smirked, instead of feeling apologetic about waking him. "Don't "what" me in that tone of voice." He taunted ruthlessly. "I saved your "herb garden" for goodness sakes. Now I need a favor."

"_Mister Elric!"_

"Morning. Now what's your answer?"

There was some grumbling, and then. _"What sort of favor are you asking for? If you want me to track more KGB members, the answer is yes, but with a double payment. Last time I got shot in the ass! Do you know how hard it is to get a woman with _that_ kind of war wound story?! I've been in mourning for my balls here."_

Edward tried not to laugh, he really did. But he failed as he hastily attempted to at least turn the laughter into a sort of hiccup-coughing hybrid. "Well that's _your_ fault for mentioning where it happened."

"_Sometimes I hate you." _But the words lacked certainty.

"I know." Edward nodded somberly, not at all concerned. "It's not KGB. It's royalty."

There was silence, and then. _"You want me to stalk the queen?! I'm going to get shot in more than my ass!"_

"Don't overreact." Ed rolled his eyes in dry amusement. "Just meet me at Olde Mitre in half an hour if you are up to a job. I'll discuss payment at that time."

"_Wait… you're going to involve Marks in this?!"_

"Bye." And Edward promptly hung up the phone without answering the question. Let Collins think as he would, he was right on the money anyway as far as Marks went. Tapping a finger against his desk he considered the phone until Thomas reappeared with his coffee. "Thanks." He muttered as he took it in hand.

Thomas nodded, and hesitated between doing and saying several things before he finally motioned to the seat next to his boss's desk. "Can I speak to you for a moment, Mister Elric?"

Edward glanced at him curiously from over the rim of his coffee mug, but waved his free hand towards the seat as he drank.

Thomas took the seat, and glanced around before turning back to speak. "A few evenings ago, actually the one following your little blow up with Fane, I got a call from one of Al's coworkers, the one who runs the gossip column?"

Setting his coffee cup down onto his desk, Edward leaned back in his chair. "Mike." He nodded in recognition. "I've met him before. Nice guy when he's not being a reporter."

"He called me that night at work, he was looking for you but I took his message." Thomas continued. "Apparently Lady Alice seems to be spending a lot of time with Mister Banciu. And taking into account their own separate interests in parts of your life at the present time, your friends, political aspirations, it's not really a difficult puzzle to put together."

"I already knew she wasn't being cautious." Edward muttered under his breath, heaved out a sigh, and fixed Thomas with an almost tired look. "Thank you for letting me know. I at least know I'm on the right path then."

Thomas frowned just a bit. "You're already aware?"

Edward glanced around, and then looked back at Thomas once he was sure no one was eavesdropping. "Understand that anything I tell you regarding this is nothing you can speak of, even to Charles." And he waited for Thomas's succinct nod before continuing. "There was an attempt on my life yesterday." He silenced Thomas's impending outburst with a fierce look. "And I am certain that at least one of them, if not both, are behind it in some way. But I won't know for certain until later. But this is my problem, my friend in the middle of it all, and I'll be the one to ultimately handle it."

"Roy really unleashed something, didn't he." Thomas said softly, almost in awe. "You haven't had anyone try and kill you in over a decade."

Edward grunted in dark amusement, and picked up his coffee again. "Roy's one of the few friends of mine I'd have put up with this for. I've known him far too long, owe him far too much, to let something like this make me kick him out of my house which is currently the only safe place for him in the country. And I don't trust him on his own again yet until things calm down, and I deal with all of this."

"Well," Thomas sat back abruptly in the hard backed chair, "then that brings me to the question of whether or not you'd like to have guards posted around your lair. The prime minister has okayed the action should you deem it necessary."

With a shake of his head, Ed sipped on his coffee a bit more. Only upon lowering it and placing it back on his desk did he affix Thomas with a rather stern look. "I'd like no one to be posted. I don't want to scare anyone off. I can handle this on my own. I just need to know that I can trust you to hold your silence about all of this."

Barely even needing a second to think about it, Thomas nodded his head, gradually looking more convinced about his acquiescence. "I've always stood by you in confidence. I won't betray it now. Just be careful."

"I'm not dealing with the same thing this time around." Edward said, glancing off into space across the room filled with the bustling of the advisors under him. "It's them who need to be careful, now that they've brought my attention."

"What do you plan to do?"

Looking back at him sharply, Edward slowly smiled. "Things I haven't allowed myself to do in nearly twenty years. Things I've held back from doing."

Thomas nodded, considering his boss silently for a moment. "Roy must be one of the best friends you have."

"As I said, I've known him far too long, and owe him far too much." Edward reiterated and looked towards the clock on the wall. "He's one of the few people I can call a friend, and have no shadow of doubt in my mind about it. But Roy... Roy knows what I'm capable of… I know what he's capable of. Yet it seems that neither Fane nor Alice took heed of his warning."

"I'll keep silent about it." Thomas promised without reservation. He'd always stood beside Edward, and he wasn't about to change his mind now.

Edward nodded and looked over at him. "I can only say to you, that I hope you remember times like these. Because when you leave this job and go after your full potential, if you live up to it, there's no avoiding things like this. Watch for now, learn. And I hope it'll be enough to keep you safe. You're one of the few politicians in this world who could be great."

Thomas couldn't help but flush a little at the praise, even though it was laced with cautions. "Thank you, sir."

Ed smiled, and reached for his coffee cup. "I have a meeting to go to in half an hour. Was there anything else pressing that needs to be run by me?" He asked and raised the cup to his lips so he could finish drinking.

"Nothing that I know you haven't already made note of." Thomas said, and took his cue to stand up. "Is there anything you want done before you leave?"

Edward finished his coffee, and passed the cup to Thomas's beckoning hand. "Nothing. I'll be in tomorrow to take care of whatever's accumulated…" he glanced at the nearly half-full inbox on his desk. "Let Charles know for me. I'm not going to be back the rest of the day." He said as he stood up and stepped away from his chair.

Thomas nodded. "I'll inform him when he gets in."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow. Keep busy." Edward grinned at him and began to walk off.

"Be careful." Thomas muttered after him, and let out a slow breath of air. Well, even if Edward wasn't going to be back, that meant he still had plenty to do. He'd never realized before he started working for the man how much needed to be done for him. But it was worth it for the insight he gained.

Edward made his way out of the building, and back to his car. It appeared the guard hadn't decided to tamper with the bundle wrapped in the sheet on his roof, but he smirked to himself as he imagined how tortured the man must have been this whole time. At least the wolf hadn't started to smell yet, the cold air was doing well to damper any stench so far.

As he got into his car, he saw the guard still looking at the bundle on his roof, and Edward silently laughed to himself. He wondered if the guard truly thought he had an American tied to his roof. That could be an even better explanation than that of explaining where he'd gotten a wolf.

But he didn't have time for such discussions, and he backed out before driving out onto the road. He had a meeting to initiate, and he doubted that Collins would turn down the opportunity to do a job for him. He knew these sort of people far too well to expect that the man wouldn't show, even if he did want to involve Marks. So he began to make his way through the snow and traffic as he headed for Hatton Garden.

He made good time, and he pulled his car along the side of the curb clearly marked as a no parking zone. As always, he ignored the road signs. His destination was not one of the many buildings and businesses lining the sidewalk on this side of the street, it was something further in. And he got out of his car to turn his steps towards the narrow path, little more than a cemented alleyway. Only a small signpost indicating that anything beyond the usual inhabitants of an alley lay this way.

Pulling his jacket about him tighter he ducked his head against the increasing snow flurries and headed into the narrow alley. It was a relatively short jaunt towards the small yard just off Hatton Garden where he turned towards the small wooden structure that was the Olde Mitre. And he was only too glad to finally get in out of the snow and the icy wind that had whipped up.

The door jingled shut behind him, and he entered deeper into the warmth of the tavern and the atmosphere of seclusion but that strange cozy comfort the best pubs in the country had. He lifted a hand slightly in a wave to the bartender and the one waitress who was hanging nearby the bar counter. But he didn't go over to them, and they merely nodded his way.

Instead he walked past other patrons and over to one of the more concealed tables hidden in one of the many nooks of the establishment. There was already one person sitting there, and he gave the man a nod as he pulled out a chair for himself and sat.

"You're late."

Edward raised an eyebrow, and then smiled faintly as he settled back into his chair while clasping his hands together on top of the table. "According to your clock." He replied simply. "How are you, Collins?"

Collins shrugged, moving an open hand across the table to grab his foamy mug of ale. "Curious, I'll admit. I haven't heard from you in a long time."

"I haven't needed help from someone I trust in a long time." Edward mimicked the shrug. "You were curious enough to come here, which means I have a good chance of you agreeing to help me again. So name your terms, and I'll tell you the job."

"Name the terms? You only said royalty." Collins reminded him with a frown. "That could mean anyone from the queen to someone of what you should have been had you been thinking properly."

Annoyance flashed in Edward's eyes, and he drew his hands off the table. "Don't loop me in with that lot. I'm no more a-" he cut himself off there, disgust clearly evident in his face at the thought of even saying the word. "The fact is, that I did what I had to do for myself. Now let's try this again. Are you going to help me, or are you not?"

The other man sipped from his ale, eyes narrowed in concentration as they considered the blond man sitting there before him. "Very well. I could use the money. No KGB?"

"This is entirely different from last time." Edward replied, not looking away from the other man's gaze.

"That doesn't answer the question."

"You should know that making ultimatums like that is hardly a smart move. I advise the most powerful politician in the country, I'm not about to fall into a common trap like that."

Collins grinned at him, "are you ever off your game?"

"No." Was Edward's unhurried answer. "Now since you wanted to play games, we're going to do this the monocratic way. Sometimes democracy is just too tedious. I need someone followed and their actions and whereabouts reported back to me daily. You'll receive the name if you agree to the terms of payment."

"If I get shot in my ass again…" Collins trailed off pointedly.

"Then I trust you'll have the common sense not to make it into another war wound story." Edward smirked a bit. "And besides, if you being shot in the ass is the clincher for driving women away, I'd hate to think of how much you lack in bed." He ignored the glare with a good-natured smile. "You'll get seventy pounds per day, until I terminate the contract." He didn't let on that he planned to do so within a day. He had faith in Alice acting rashly.

"Compensation for injuries?" Collins asked immediately.

"Such as being shot in the ass?" Edward enquired sweetly, and then laughed a few short but deserved laughs at the man's expense. "Collins, if this one manages to shoot you in the ass, you deserve it. I don't think they even know how to hold a gun, much less shoot one."

"So that's a no?"

"Correct."

Collins rolled his eyes, and then considered the blond. "All I can say is, damn you for being worth it. You did save my "herb garden" after all."

"And I'll keep hanging it over your head." Edward promised with a slightly evil grin.

"Very well, Mister Elric. Name the unfortunate soul."

"Lady Alice."

Collins blinked at him. "You two are neighbors, can't you just do it?"

"I could." Edward agreed with a nod of his head. "But then you'd be out of a job. And I have my own things to do. Things that don't include my following around that absurd tart. "

Well, Collins had to admit, he had him there. "And Marks? Where is he playing into this?"

"Why the curiosity? I know that you two don't get along." Edward frowned.

"I wonder why not." Collins rolled his eyes. "I'm just wondering what idiot you have him following."

Edward allowed himself a small smile, his gaze flickering up towards the arrival and then back towards Collins.

"_You're_ following the idiot, Collins. That's all you're capable of."

Collins whirled around so fast that he sloshed his beer, and he glared at the man standing behind him. "When did you get here?"

Marks smirked at him, and his gaze drifted briefly to an amused Edward before he looked back down at the incensed ex-British naval officer. "You didn't notice? How… unsurprising. This is why you were assigned to follow an idiot, because she's stupid enough not to notice you blundering around behind her."

"Why I-!"

"Sit!" Edward ordered as Collins made to lunge from his chair to try and do bodily harm to the burly American who Ed had met on a diplomatic trip. Roble Marks, an import to America from Somalia, had been working FBI security. Now retired, the tall and quite uncensored man had moved to England in order to open up an illegal gambling operation that was operated out of this very tavern. It was so illegal in fact, that the owners of the tavern didn't even know, and Edward wasn't about to let slip the information.

Marks stood quite still as Collins glared at him, still not sitting down. "I believe Mister Elric asked you to _sit_. So sit down, and maybe he'll give you a doggie biscuit."

"Marks, don't bait him." Edward told him sternly. "Both of you sit down. I'll not have you two getting into a brawl so early in the day. You can fight later, preferably after your jobs have been completed."

Both men did sit. However Collins sat rather huffily and glared as Marks sat right beside him looking completely at ease.

"Good." Edward muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Now then, if you two will kindly mind your manners, I think I'm going to need a drink to deal with your impending nonsense. And I know you will, you always do."

"Certainly. I'll just demonstrate a proper headlock while you're gone." Marks smirked.

Collins glared at him. "Hey, I was navy, mister "I'm ex-FBI" man. You're nothing more than a glorified cop."

"But with a better pension."

"I get better benefits."

"How's your ass doing?"

"Oh shut up!"

"Have I ever told you why people call me "Marks"?"

"I can kill a man in forty-seven ways. But for you, I'm up to inventing a forty-eighth."

Edward got up at this point, shaking his head at their bickering. He couldn't get that drink fast enough as far as he was concerned. And really, the only thing that separated the arguing of those two from those that he'd had with Roy, was the fact that he and Roy would have never actually been okay with the thought of killing one another. And he was sure that given the opportunity, Marks and Collins would gladly try to kill each other off.

Luckily they were still in a relatively public place.

Reaching the bar he smiled at the bartender. "Hey, Jim."

"Are they at it again already?" Jim grinned at him as he reached for a glass.

Edward nodded, "luckily they rarely see each other. Else I think I would have gotten a call already asking me to bail one of them out of jail."

Jim grimaced a bit at the thought. "Most likely. Anyway, what's it going to be?"

"As much as I'd like some hard liquor… just give me some of the spiced mead." He said, resting up against the polished counter and looking around. "Though if you sneak those two absinthe, I wouldn't be adverse. Maybe it'd mellow them out some."

"We could only be so hopeful." Jim agreed, and passed the filled glass towards Edward.

Edward grunted in mild agreement and slapped some bills on the counter to pay for his drink and tip before walking off again. He drank as he walked. And he made his way back over to the small table tucked away around a nook and took his seat again.

"So what's the job for the non-idiot?" Marks asked as soon as Edward had sat back down.

Collins opened his mouth to retort, only to be silenced by one of Ed's looks.

Edward then turned his attention onto Marks. "I need you to keep an eye on the Romanian ambassador, Fane Banciu, until I say otherwise. That's all you need to know. Your pay will be the same." He knew that Marks had been there behind Collins for the payment discussion. "And I under no circumstances aside from avoiding a disaster, want you to interfere in anything that he does."

"I expect you have some way of getting me past the security at the embassy and Parliament?" Marks asked with a bit of a frown.

Ed cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you were an ex-FBI agent. Surely you can manage without me?"

Collins snickered none too quietly while Marks composed himself and nodded.

"Good." Edward nodded, "I want reports. Letters, not phone calls. Deliver them to my mailbox at night after they've gone to bed and before you do the same. Are we clear?"

"You've left a lot of details out…" Collins pointed out, and smugly took notice of Marks's silent nod of agreement.

Edward stood up, draining the rest of his small glass of spiced mead before setting it back onto the table with a hollow clunk. "No more details are needed. The rest is my affair, you two are just streamlining it for me. I'd rather get this matter under control before it spirals too far out again. Your work starts in-" he checked the nearest clock on the tavern wall, "-forty minutes. So have a beer, and then it's to work."

"Mister Elric." Collins nodded to him.

Marks raised Collins's mug of ale in a silent toast-and ignored the man's swipe to retrieve it.

Edward swept away to the sounds of the coming argument, all starting with: "he _said_ have a beer. I can't help it if yours is the only one around."

Shaking his head and smiling faintly, Edward ducked out of the tavern with a wave to the barkeeper and a nod and smile to the waitress who waved him out. He did hope that those two wouldn't get too caught up in their little personal vendettas against one another. They did have work to do, and they wouldn't get paid otherwise. After all, things were getting started very soon, and if they missed the most crucial parts, he was going to be very unhappy.

And he really would rather not do this the hard way when an easier route lay within sight.


	32. Chapter 32

Again... you all know the drill. Either find your reply and read, or start scrolling like the fires of Roy's version of hell are behind you.

Koorii: You have cake? ...I am at your command XD.

Mary: They could very well be the Maes and Roy of this world, just with more violence and less pictures.

Bar-Ohki: Edward has no shame about hiring people to stalk other people, and you know he'll try and write it off as a business expense so he doesn't have to pay for it.

Shinimegami: Yeah, Collins kind of gets the fun partying end of the deal. Nightclubbing! His reports won't make any sense at all after that much liquor.

moonstone: ...you chained me to my desk... just as long as you feed me XD.

SmartieGee: Maybe Collins should get an eyepatch, he'd never stop being teased by Marks.

GreedxEd: I'm not writing any Collins/Marks porn... yet XD

Choas: Ed is rather talented that way.

mrawgirl: Nitro is blushing, being called adorable. I hope it doesn't go to his head.

FallenGriffin: Square eyeballs... that is awesome. And Roy's sickness will eventually be revealed, but at the risk of revealing too much plot, I'll stop with that.

mutant: That's all we need... Marks and Collins screwing each other to death.

E: Seems to be a popular pub name... but the one I researched does not exist in hicktown England XP. And I think Alice would do brilliant with a gun, what are you talking about? XD

* * *

So lesse... story stuff.

Ransom is on chapter eleven, November is on chapter three, and Fallen is on chapter fifteen.

And then me stuff....

Things are getting slightly back to normal for me as far as having time back to myself where I can type up all the chapters I wrote. Though I nearly hit my brother today for telling me he only needed to go to school for an hour and then wanted me to come and pick him up. An hour? Ugh... maybe I'm just bitter because all through highschool I was there from 7am until 6:30 or 9pm. And he still can't do anything for himself, he still wont do any chores... yeah, apparently I'm bitter about how spoiled I see him to be.

Moving on to the story... before I hurt something.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Two

As Edward pulled away from the curb, he ignored the looks that the pedestrians who had been milling on the sidewalk had cast the strangely formed bundle on his roof. He had withheld the American jokes, just in case there actually was one out there who didn't understand that he actually rather liked the nationality as a whole. He'd rather not have to deal with some pompous tourist so early in the day. Then he might actually end up having an American strapped to the roof of his car.

So it was that he started driving again through the once more falling snow, to one of the few places he absolutely hated going. But unfortunately, it had to be done.

His mood was less than amiable when he pulled his car up to the guarded gates and rolled down his window to be recognized and waved through. But he kept a firm grip on himself as he pulled through the opening gates and past the security. It wouldn't do to show his temper to people that didn't deserve it. Just being here made him edgy and annoyed.

He parked his car near the front door of the two story white building that looked more like a small estate home than the embassy it was. Though he wasn't quite sure what to make of the live flamingos that were strutting along the snow covered lawn. With a shake of his head he got out of his car.

He ignored the people watching him as he unfastened the cords holding the wolf to the roof. And he piled them back into the trunk before going over to hoist the dead animal still covered in the sheet down and into his arms. But he slung it over his automail shoulder, not feeling the weight of it. His automail hand clenched into the sheet to keep it steady.

"Mister Elric." The butler nodded to him politely as the advisor made it over to the front door.

Edward nodded back to him, suffering a small smile. "Where's Mister Banciu?" He asked and stepped inside where it was warm.

The butler closed the door to keep the chill out, and stepped over to where Edward had stopped in the foyer. "In his office, do you have an appointment with him?"

"He's not my bloody physician." Edward partially scowled, and tightened his grip on his load. "Does he have a meeting going on currently?"

"No, sir." The butler shook his head, and then eyes the whatever it was underneath the sheet. "Do you need me to take that off your hands, sir?"

Edward glanced at it briefly. "No. It's for Mister Banciu. So if you don't mind…" he trailed off, feigning as if the bundle were heavy to him to get his point across.

The butler waved his hand in the vague direction to the office. "You recall the way?"

"Unfortunately." Edward muttered, and gave him a parting nod as he started off across the foyer. Maybe he should harass Fane about having a butler as well. After all, it was an embassy, not his permanent home.

But he made his way down the hallways, past offices, and other various rooms, until he came to the door that he recognized led to Fane's office. He'd only been here a few times before, and each time he had hoped would be the last. But again, it seemed he was to be proven incorrect. As if he had a choice.

Drawing on manners he knew Fane wouldn't emulate if their positions were swapped, he knocked lightly on the door before he entered.

Fane's command of "enter" died halfway through as he looked up to see who had entered. His eyebrows clearly showed his surprise, but his mouth twisted into a curious smile. "Mister Elric… to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Edward shut the door behind him before walking the short distance across the office floor to where Fane was sitting behind his desk, fixing him with as regal a look as the man could manage. "Surprised to see me?" He asked lightly as he stopped walking.

Fane spread his hands in a gesture of impartiality. "It's not common of you. Though it is intriguing, you never come here before unless-" he trailed off, his face twisting in disgust as he sniffed at the air. "What the hell is that smell?"

"Ah, that." Edward's expression was cold as he slung the bundle off his shoulder and let it thump onto Fane's desk. Papers scattered, and the ambassador himself jumped. "Something I'm returning to you."

"I beg your pardon?" Fane asked mid-gag, backing his chair away.

"Go on, take a look." Edward waved his hand at the sheeted mass.

Fane gave the advisor an uncertain look and stood up. One hand covered his nose and mouth in an effort to block the slowly strengthening stench of decay, the other reaching out to mess with the sheet. Tossing the ends aside, his eyes widened as he saw the dead wolf. His hand left his mouth immediately as he gave Edward a look of outrage. "This wolf is _not_ mine! Get it the hell out of here! And you can remove yourself as well!"

Golden eyes narrowing, Edward did not look away from the ambassador. Not even to look at the wolf. "Romania has one of the few remaining wolf populations in Europe. This wolf attacked me." And he stopped there, knowing that Fane was at least smart enough to piece together some of what he was alluding towards.

Fane did not react in his shock, and then slowly he snapped out of it. "What?!" He gaped at the audacity of what Edward was suggesting. "You think this wolf was shipped here to attack you?"

"Originally? No." Edward corrected quite calmly. "Wolves will avoid humans, they won't attack unless they have no other choice. And that-" he pointed to the dead animal, "-had no reason to attack me like it did. It didn't act like a wolf."

"Mister Elric-"

"A loose rabid dog would have attracted less attention." Edward cut him off. "Only a wolf would have been manipulated and used against me if the person behind it was trying to send me a message. Well, I received the message loud and clear."

Fane, about to launch into another short rant, paused. And then he blinked, before lowering his hackles just a bit. "The person behind it?"

Edward smirked with a flash of pride. It seemed Fane wasn't entirely stupid… but only when it suited him. "If I thought it was you, I wouldn't have come here by myself. You would have attacked me, and you would have died. And that would serve me no benefit to assassinate an ambassador in his own embassy."

"I would have died?!" Fane glared, more affronted by the claim that he would have lost, than interested in what was before him.

"Yes." Edward said simply, but with conviction. "Now I know you keep wolves here in the embassy-" and when Fane opened his mouth to deny it, Edward shot him a stern look that surprisingly shut him up, "-you have an illegal zoo out back that was built in June of 1946. I saw the shipment and delivery notices as you attracted suspicion with it. And three wolves were listed on the shipment ledgers."

"You didn't turn me in?" Fane asked with a suspicious frown.

"I always knew that there'd always come a time to use every piece of blackmail information I could get on you." Edward explained with a smirk. "Have any of your wolves gone missing? And I must insist you be honest with me… did this wolf once belong to you?"

A dark chuckle left Fane's lips, and he raised his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, you win on this one."

"I knew I would. And remember, be honest with me. Or the worst I do won't be to shut down that zoo of yours." Edward threatened, and not without the means to back up his threats. "Someone used a wolf on me to make me go after you. So this concerns you just as much as it does myself. If you don't wish me to shut down that zoo, and pin this wolf on you which I have all the evidence to do, then you're going to cooperate with me. Unless you'd rather face what would await you for trying to murder me. Not to mention the charges you'd face for the wolf and the other zoo animals."

Fane gave him a suspicious, but curious look. "You'd rather lose your one chance to get me out of the way, just to get your hands on someone else whose identity you don't know yet?"

"Don't flatter yourself in thinking that I believe you're that important." Edward snorted, and crossed his arms as he regarded the ambassador. "So let's hear it."

Looking down at the wolf, Fane sighed in acquiescence. He knew when it behooved him to cooperate with something. And he was smart enough to know that Edward held in his hands the one thing that could destroy his career, and yet, the blond was unwilling to use it in favor of doing what was right. Sometimes he hated non-politicians… they made the political world seem dirtier than it was when they threw around morals. "Every now and then an animal goes missing. But not just from my zoo… from London Zoo as well. I don't know where they go. This wolf… it was never one of mine. But I can guarantee you it belonged to the London Zoo."

"Guarantee? Really?" Edward said in disbelief. "How?"

"It's a Romanian wolf, yes. But the only place in the U.K. licensed to have one right now is the London Zoo. And of course myself… but this one is not one of mine."

Edward slowly nodded. "Then I suggest you drop everything else you consider worthy of your time, and figure out where this wolf came from."

"Excuse me?" Fane bristled. "I am not one of your little underlings that you can order around at whim. I am a government ambassador, and I do not take orders from a_dvisors_."

"Funny, maybe that's your problem." Edward remarked dryly, and rolled his eyes. "Here's the deal, Fane. You have forty eight hours to figure out who set that wolf on me, and be correct about it, and I don't think I need to go into what will happen if you don't. I'm giving you a chance to save your skin here, but to be very honest, I'd love to take you down. Whether I do or not is up to you."

"You little-"

Edward's eyes narrowed, "don't try me, Fane. You're wasting time."

"No one would believe you about the wolf. Now that you've, and I quote, "returning to you", the wolf, I can easily dispose of it."

"And that's where photographic evidence comes into play." Edward shrugged, not once slipping in his façade. He knew he didn't have photographic evidence of it, but Fane didn't know that. "And I'm not about to let you keep that sheet." He said, and walked forward to tug it away and ball it up to be tucked under one arm.

"Shame that damn wolf didn't get you." Fane snarled.

"Again, wasting time." Edward replied coldly.

"You lure me in, and then pull one over on me?!"

Edward scoffed, and gave him an incredulous look. "Um, political advisor here who's kept you from your goal all these years? Hello? Welcome to the world of politics, Mister Banciu, now godspeed."

Fane sneered as he watched Edward turn to leave. "You'll meet the same end as he did one day. You both get in over your head, thinking you can manipulate the entire world to bend to your cause."

"And yet, we get what we want in the end." Edward said quietly, stopping to look back at Fane. "The difference is, I'm not the bad guy. Choose your side carefully… you've seen what happens to those on the wrong one."

"I'm an ambassador, my side is my own. Now leave."

Edward smirked, but his eyes echoed the warning he'd given. "Forty eight hours... and you've just wasted seven minutes of it. Good day." And he let himself out of the office, smiling to himself darkly as he heard glass shatter from within the office.

And he couldn't help but feel liberated as he marched out of the embassy and back to his car. There was just something about pissing off Fane, and using the bastard to get what he wanted. And he had little doubt that he would. Now it was up to Marks and Collins…

He got back into his car and pulled out of the driveway and through the gates so he could head back out onto the road. He still had one more stop to make before he went home again. And he was sure that Al would think he was insane for doing this… but it would be worth it.

Meanwhile Fane had finished barking out orders to dispose of the wolf body stinking up his office. And now he was heading out to his own car, an aura of seething hate around him. He didn't know where Edward got that damn cockiness, but the advisor had been progressively growing more headstrong. Ever since Roy…

It was all Roy's fault, all of this. He needed that damn enigma out of the way. And he was still freaking waiting for that. And whose fault was it? Alice's. His patience with her had just about run its course after Edward's unexpected visit. It was time he go pay her a visit and impress upon her just what she was messing with should she continue to fail at her feminine seduction act.

He pulled out of the gates with his tires squealing, but they gave him little satisfaction as he progressively inched the accelerator to the floor while relentlessly shifting the black government loan car into its highest gear.

He barely paid attention to the thought of safe driving as he wove in and out of traffic at high speeds, and went through several lights he really shouldn't have. But he didn't care. He was too ticked off at the dumb blonde noble who thought time was one of her many luxuries. And the dangerous drive over did nothing to calm him as he turned in through the open gates of the estate and sped up the driveway.

"Mister Banciu… I'm afraid his lordship is not at home." The man who came to take his car keys said as Fane got out of the car in a stormy rage.

Fane eyed him coldly. "If I wanted to speak to him, I'd be at Parliament, not here. Does this look like Parliament to you? I'm here to see Lady Alice. Where is she?"

"Somewhere inside, the maids will know." The man replied, not at all phased by the ambassador's foul mood. He was used to uppity people of high standing having grown-up tantrums around him.

Fane stalked away, swearing under his breath in his native tongue. And he barely curbed his colorful dialogue when one such maid opened the door to admit him. "Lady Alice, where is she?" He asked immediately, and quite snidely if he were to guess.

The maid shut the door, and smiled at the incensed ambassador. "This way, sir."

"She better be." He snarled, following after the maid. Even the short skirt the woman wore did little to take his mind off of his anger. He followed her all the way to one door on the upper floor.

"I'll ask if she wants to see you." The maid said with a curtsey to him.

Fane gave her an incredulous look, and promptly shoved her aside. "If she wants? She has no choice, you simpleton."

"Sir! That's the lady's bedroom!" The maid screeched in alarm as Fane's hand found the door handle.

"Oh, well in that case, I won't ask for tea to be brought." Fane said, and barged into the room, slamming the door behind him.

The maid stood aghast in the hallway, and looked at one of the other maids who had seen the whole thing. "Should we tell the missus, Mag?"

Maggie shook her head, her own eyes still quite wide. "We'd be punished by Lady Alice for it… let's just keep the missus from trying to go in there until he leaves."

Fane meanwhile had strode over to the bed where Alice was still asleep, and he promptly ripped the covers off of her underwear clad body to expose her to cold air. "Wake up, you idiot twit!" He growled.

Alice awoke with a start, and shrieked as she saw Fane there. "You asshole! Get out of my room!" She screeched, and grabbed for the covers to shield her body.

"Oh don't." Fane rolled his eyes at her antics. "Everyone who picks up certain newspapers has seen more than this of you." He waved his hand vaguely at her body.

"Hey!" Alice protested indignantly.

"Get out of that bed, and get yourself dressed." Fane ordered, crossing his arms as if daring her to disobey. "You're going over to that house right now and dragging Roy back here. I don't care how many times you have to force yourself on him, but you will get him the bloody hell away from Edward. Do you understand me?"

"Get out of my room! You have no right to come in here like this!" Alice snapped back at him, and grabbed a pillow which she tossed his way. "Out!"

"Shut up!"

"Your help is unreliable, slow, and you're an asshole!" Alice glared at him. "I have some other help besides you. So don't flatter yourself in thinking I rely so much on you that I'd do your bidding whenever you choose. This is as much my venture as it is yours."

"Other help?" Fane frowned.

"Yes." Alice informed him smugly, and lay back down. "Someone who promised to take care of Edward to get him out of the way. Since you seem to be incapable. He said his method wouldn't fail like your own do."

"What?!" Fane squawked, slowly beginning to realize with a sense of dread. "You! This is all your fault! Who did you go to?!"

"That's none of your business. But Edward should be dead soon." Alice yawned in a satisfied way.

Fane barely managed to keep from slapping that look off the clueless woman's face. "You idiot! Edward isn't dead, he killed the wolf that got set on him. And he'll frame me for it and it'll be the end of me unless you tell me who you had do this. And I can guarantee you that if I go down, I'm taking you down with me!"

"Then I'll just have him send another beastie, don't worry. He obviously got closer than you did. So don't worry about it." Alice told him, wondering if she might need to call paramedics. Fane looked almost ready to hyperventilate.

"You stupid girl!" Fane snarled. "If only you were actually good at luring one man to your bed, we wouldn't be here! And now I could be ruined because you can't get it right. You have to turn to some murderer to try and get your way. Who was it?!"

Alice looked up at him, and slowly smiled. "Fuck you, Fane. Now get the hell out of my home before I call the police. I'm not reliant upon you exclusively, deal with it. And in the end, I'll have Roy… and Edward will be gone for good which you will be forever in debt to me for. He's only an advisor… and he won't be around much longer. Not long enough for him to ruin you."

"I swear Alice… if I go down, I'm taking you with me. And that's a promise." He snarled, and swept from the room. He should have known better than to trust an idiot with a proposition like this. Especially someone like Alice. For her own good, he hoped she was right about Edward meeting an unfortunate end. Otherwise, she herself just might meet one, and he wouldn't mourn the loss.

As Fane pulled from the driveway, still seething to himself, he didn't see the other car pull from around the corner and follow after him.

From his CB radio, Marks was smirking as he said, "idiot's all yours now. Happy hunting, watch your ass." And he laughed when a muttered "_fuck you_"came back over the radio in Collins's disgruntled voice.


	33. Chapter 33

This is funny, either Alice is now officially more unbearably stupid, or she's more loved for being so and not quite unbearable. You people make me so happy. XD

Koorii: Fane getting owned is a priceless image. By chickens... I'm obsessed with chickens lately.

Shinimegami: Yes.. Alice isn't exactly well known for being the smartest person to grace the aristocracy. But oh how she makes it more entertaining.

ferret: Shall I just get the scene of Alice being taken out by the fence on tape for you so you can watch it on a loop?

GreedxEd: Fane and Alice are like Ima and Bradley. One's halfway smart, the other is a complete disaster.

moonstone: Envy? Only if I get to have him shot will he be appearing. Apparently I enjoy shooting him in stories.

Bar-Ohki: Fane and Alice are almost their own dysfunctional family.

haganeno: Hmm... I shall have to pass on commenting as to that little potential plot point. As much as I want to, because being the first one to notice and all... but yeah.

mrawgirl: Aww Alice has a fan... who likes to see her crash and burn. She's so lucky XD. I'm right there with you though... I love her for her utter cluelessness.

Shawn: I'm a twisted person sometimes, what can I say?

mutantpenguins: Well I'm glad you're enjoying those ones as well.

Tana: Thank you very much. I'm glad you started reading it too.

PaperBagGhost: Thank you, I'm happy you're all hooked. I'll just reel you in shall I? ...and grab the ducttape.

Cheru: Besides roast her in that huge fireplace of Ed's? Would Roy harm Alice? ...he says yes XD.

E: So true... Roy would absolutely hate her if she managed to be a part of Ed dying. He loves his wittle tiny Ed. -flees from Ed-

FallenGriffen: Toast works for now then... maybe brownies later when you make more and don't eat them all.

Paon: I'm glad you caught up too. I hope you were enjoying wherever you ran off to.

Lamia: Good thing there's some more Marks/Collins to come then. I've grown rather fond of them.

Death-Chan: Not a bad addiction to the stories, I hope. XD and yes... I tend to leave cliffhangers here and there. Sometimes literal cliffhangers.

Sora: Thank you very much. I'm really glad you like it so far.

* * *

Okay... I'm finally updating this again. I'd explain what's taking me so long... but it's really not that fascinating so I'll spare you all.

Anywho... as far as the other stories go, I hope everyone enjoyed the few oneshots I put up to try and make up for the lack of Circa. I even updated Ultimatum... -pats herself on the back-. Now to deal with the general story talk before we get going with this one. Just because this seems to be where I do all that nonsense.

As far as Love Takes Time goes, I may do a sequel of the wedding. I've also had requests for short scenes of what happens to Al and the reactions they get because of their "sudden" relationship. Whether I go forward with it or not I've not come to a concrete decision. Feedback would be appreciated on whether or not expansion would be good. I did give permission to another authoress, White Mage Koorii, to go ahead and do a piece on Roy's thoughts as he's waiting at the vineyard. So if that pops up, please don't antagonize her about stealing anything. She has my permission (no one else).

LJ stories: I don't think I've updated Fallen since the last time... November is updated to chapter four, and Ransom up to chapter twelve. I'll be putting up a Roy/Wrath fic that (even though I don't really feel the pairing) I was asked if I'd write one. So I'm going to do my best for the person who asked, because she's very much loved.

And I think that's it... I hope so. If you read all of that, you get cookies. I had no idea it'd take me so long to get all that out of the way.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Three

The tires of Edward's car sloshed up against the curb outside the dreary brickwork building of the 'The Guardian' newspaper. As he cut the engine he turned in his seat to look at the place, as if sizing it up. He'd come here rarely, and only to see Al. But his brother was still in Canada right now… it should be interesting to walk straight into reporter-land without his brother around.

Well, at least he wasn't unaccustomed to the potential upcoming chaos.

"Al's going to think I've gone medically insane." Edward muttered to himself as he took the keys from the ignition.

He got out of the car, slammed the door shut, and took a deep settling breath before heading towards the front doors. And he managed to get through it unmolested. Inside however, was an entirely different story.

"Mister Elric!" It was hard to pinpoint just one person who'd either called out his name or started whispering and pointing like he was an exotic animal in the zoo who'd finally made an appearance.

And as this _was_ a newspaper, he wouldn't have been surprised if cameras started flashing.

But he quickly ignored the massive group of Guardian employees as he instead started heading towards the direction of Mike Jenkins's office. He'd been given the tour of the place several times already, so he knew generally where everyone he might speak to was. And he'd only speak to the people Alphonse considered worthy of befriending at work. Al trusted Mike, and they'd been introduced before. So Edward knew that the man who ran the gossip column was actually a nice guy. He just needed to be sure he made it clear that his intentions were not for Mike to start going into reporter mode.

Once he reached the door, having quite expertly weaved his way through interested looking employees, he knocked and let himself in.

Mike Jenkins was the very picture of being the man to run a gossip column. He was thin, shorter than Edward- which Ed secretly loved- , and seemed to have a perpetual raccoon look around his eyes. And it was not hard to imagine the amount of sleep this man lost as he pursued his job. And he looked up from whatever he was reading in a black notebook as Edward walked in. "I'd ask if you had the right office, but Al's still in Toronto."

Edward shut the door behind him. "I have the right office." He assured the man, and walked forward a bit. "Do you have some time I can steal?"

Mike waved a hand towards one of the well-worn leather office chairs. "Please, steal." And he laid down his pen, shutting his notebook.

Sitting down, Edward raised a curious eyebrow at Mike's actions. "Tape recorder?"

Mike smiled, but pointed towards where it sat, clearly off. "I think I know better by now. If you're here, it's because Al would trust me not to do anything shady. And clearly you're here for a good reason, so it'd be smart of me to find out why."

"I came by for two reasons, actually." Edward began as he relaxed back into the chair. "First, I wanted to thank you. For calling Thomas."

Looking somewhat concerned, Mike nodded. "I thought you should know. And my conscience wouldn't have let me do otherwise, seeing as Al would have killed me for withholding anything from you that might be important to your own well being."

Edward smiled at that. He couldn't picture Alphonse killing anyone… but he supposed it could be possible. "Well I appreciate that." And he glanced idly to the glass walls surrounding the office on three sides. "The other reason I came by is to give you some "information". You may want to write this down." He waved a hand to indicate the abandoned notebook and paper.

Mike immediately whipped to a blank page and clicked his pen to the ready as he perched on the edge of his seat. "And what information is this?"

"To be frank, I need cover for something of importance, and you can help me get it. I need you to get the word out that Lady Alice has been seen with Fane Banciu at least once a day. You run the gossip column so let's go ahead and inflate the facts."

Mike snickered appreciatively.

"Through word of mouth, you've discovered that Lady Alice is a month pregnant with Mister Banciu's child. The child was conceived out of wedlock… but they've plans to elope and marry in Scotland on Christmas Day."

Mike spoke even as the pen flew across the paper forming words. "All I can say is bless this great country for giving us Lady Alice. The gossip world would be a duller place without her."

Edward inclined his head gradually. "That's why I trust you to make it sound good. More people will read it if it's in your column, than in the politics section."

Mike finished writing, and twirled his pen between his fingers as he considered the man sitting there before him. "You have a point there. And I'm going to chance a guess and say that most of that is false?"

"Yes." Edward agreed solemnly.

"And I suppose you want to remain anonymous?" Mike asked with a smile.

"Yes." Edward laughed. "You think I'm asking you to write this shit so I can get another summons by her majesty to go over my behavior? No thank you. I need you to print this so that she and Fane are more occupied with squashing rumors and the problems that will arise, than what I'm up to."

Mike looked interested, and he raised his pen curiously. "And what _are_ you up to?"

Edward reached over to take away the pen. "That's more for the politics section… if it ever comes out. No offense."

"None taken."

"Listen," Edward fixed the man with a stern gaze, "I'm here because Al trusts you… don't give either of us any reason to want to make your life hell." And he set the pen back on Mike's desk.

"I understand." Mike replied quietly, and left the pen lay where it was. "But you must know that your coming here will arise suspicion?"

Edward smirked, and stood up. "You run the gossip column… improvise. But in a way that won't make me want to show you the inside of a Siberian penitentiary."

Unable to suppress a shudder, Mike stood as well. "That reminds me… the funeral?"

"If I'd had it my way… there wouldn't have been one." Edward replied in a carefully controlled tone. "Let's leave it at that." And he walked over to the door, turning back only as he reached for the handle. "And thanks again for the head's up."

"You're welcome." Mike gave him a small smile, and then the blond enigma was gone. He truly understood those Elric's as well as he understood the meaning of life. They just didn't seem to be meant to be understood, but all the same they intrigued.

Edward made his way out of the newspaper building, and back to his car. He'd be glad to finally get home. And he smiled as he turned on the engine, while thinking about who was waiting for him at home. Roy had been oddly affectionate and persistent about it this morning. Sure, he was always affectionate… but this morning had been different.

And he was quite curious to see how the afternoon turned out because of it.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

Roy had only spent an hour at most in the pool before he'd gotten out, dried off, and dressed in order to go outside. He went out through the terrace landing, and stood at the railing. The snow was falling again. It looked to be gradually getting heavier, but there was still a lack of wind. Which suited Roy just fine.

While the heavy jacket he'd grabbed from the coat closet helped, he was still a bit cold. He didn't yet have enough body mass regained to help insulate him.

Shivering a bit, he pulled the jacket tighter around him and then breathed into his hands before rubbing them together. And he was just starting to wonder how long he may have to wait, before he saw a familiar dark shape bounding towards him through the falling snow. With a smile, he walked over to the steps and made his way down them just in time to greet his namesake filly as Flame skidded to a stop in front of him.

"You didn't knock me over this time." Roy mumbled as he began to rub his hands through her thick, fluffy coat. She was warm, and he was not complaining about the body heat. "It's too bad you're going to get bigger. I like you this size. You don't scare me as much."

Flame, having no clue what her human was saying, merely began to nibble at the hem of the jacket he was wearing.

"And that's Edward's." He said, tugging it from her. "And Ed would have my hide if I let you chew on his belongings." With another shiver he stepped around her, holding the jacket closed with his hands. "Come on then. It's cold standing still for too long, but I don't want you to think I abandoned you out here."

And so he walked around with the young filly who pranced after and around him gaily. They never strayed too far from the chateau. But Roy was enjoying being outside with his little "duckling". It felt oddly fulfilling to be relied on and trusted by a young animal like this. He enjoyed seeing her happy with his presence… but after reading that book, he only hoped she'd be just as happy with him when he began to teach her that there were some times when she didn't get to do everything she pleased.

She would be big after all… and he didn't want a full grown Flame bounding around after him with gradually increasing control. She'd be more likely to cause damage… and then eat him to hide the evidence.

Several times he took off running, and ended up laughing most of the time as he tried to lose the filly by changing direction quickly. Flame would skid off, nearly lose her balance or in some cases fall down anyway, and then race after him again. And whenever he stopped to catch his breath, laughing and coughing every now and then against the cold air, he'd lean against Flame for support.

He was standing up against her at one such time when a flash of gold caught his eye.

Turning around abruptly, jostling Flame in turn, he smiled as his eyes alighted on Edward. The blond was leaning against the side of the chateau, arms crossed and a smile on his face. "You're home…" he whispered happily to himself.

And with a slightly wicked grin towards Flame, he took off running in Edward's direction.

Ed's eyes widened as he saw them heading for him. "Roy…" he called out uncertainly and straightened up from the wall.

Roy laughingly tackled Edward, tugging him to one side so that they collapsed into the soft cushioning of snow. "Hey there." He grinned as he scooped up a handful of snow and splashed it onto Ed's face.

Edward spluttered and squirmed, but was trapped under Roy's body. He tried to speak, but his words were muffled by the white powder. Powder which he quickly scooped up some of and dumped it down Roy's collar.

Flame watched interestedly as her human shrieked and jumped up to try and shake out the snow.

Edward got to his feet, snickering in a pleased-with-himself way. Only to soon be in the middle of a full blown snow-fight. Grabbing handfuls of snow he returned fire as quickly as Roy gave it. He was mostly covered in the white flakes, but he didn't care.

They threw snow back and forth until Flame had fallen asleep trying to watch their antics as they dashed around the backyard, and they were both panting and out of breath. Edward sat down hard in the snow, laughing still and quite flushed from their playing. Roy knelt before him a bit slower, and Edward leaned into his touch as Roy reached out a hand to cup his cheek.

"You're beautiful." Roy said softly, taking in the sight of Edward flushed from excitement and powdered with snow as more fell around him. "The snow makes you look like an angel."

Edward smiled, his eyes sparkling happily as he reached out to take Roy's other hand in his own. "You're one to speak."

"I'm not beautiful." Roy disagreed, completely at ease with the statement. "I'm literally half the man I used to be."

Edward let his free hand go up to press a hushing finger against Roy's lips. "Skin and bones, missing an eye or not, you're still beautiful to me. I love you unconditionally."

Roy smiled against the finger, and waited for it to lower before he replied. "How did your morning go without me?"

With a bit of a laugh, Edward nodded. "Successful I would wager." And he shifted closer on his knees towards Roy. "But I admit I was distracted…"

Smirking, Roy lifted a curious eyebrow. "Surely not you. Whatever distracted you?"

Edward stuck his tongue out childishly. "Why don't we go inside where it's warm and I'll remind you where we left off this morning? See if that jogs your memory."

Roy flashed him a winning smile, and stood up, helping Edward up with him. "I think I like the sound of that idea."

"Of course you do."

And Edward tugged Roy back towards the chateau. Lunch could wait… he wanted this first. And he barely waited until he'd closed the door leading out to the terrace before he began to remind Roy _exactly_ where they'd left off.

His memory was very good… and it appeared Roy's wasn't too shabby either once jogged.

**Romanian Embassy - London**

Marks was kicked back in his car, watching the gates of the embassy. They were guarded as always, and he'd have to get past them. But he was not stressing over the task. He had tailed the ambassador here, and the man hadn't emerged since. He'd seen no one else go in either. Yes, he was supposed to keep an eye on the man, but he needed to make sure he knew what times the patrols of guards switched, and be sure he had spotted all the cameras.

It was quickly darkening, and the snow continued to fall. Soon it would be dark enough for him to sneak in, keep an eye on the ambassador until he fell asleep, and then head out. He'd deliver his report to Edward and then come back to get some sleep before infiltrating again before the ambassador could get up to too much.

He wasn't sure what it was Edward was after as far as keeping an eye on Fane Banciu. But he knew it had to be important. The advisor's mutual dislike of the ambassador was hardly enough to merit such an observation. There was clearly something else going on. Something important enough that Edward had called on him… and he was determined to do the job correctly. There was one thing he didn't abide by, and that was failure.

Especially to someone who he respected as much as he did Edward Elric.

Looking around, the streetlamps were beginning to flip on to try and provide light in the darkness and the swiftly falling snow. A relatively fruitless attempt, but it at least threw off enough light to let him still keep an eye on the gates. He'd give it three more minutes, and then he'd sneak out of this disguise of parked cars along the curb and go about his job.

If he'd known that at this exact moment, Collins was off enjoying a margarita while tailing Lady Alice around a nightclub, he probably would have shot the man in the other butt cheek himself. But it was for the better for them both that he didn't know.

"Well, time to go have fun with the nasty looking politician." Marks muttered, and quietly exited his car.

He darted across the road unseen, grabbed a length of rope fastened to a grapple and hoisted it over the brickwork fence. Humming to himself he scaled the wall quickly, and leapt over to the other side. He landed in the soft snow behind several bushes just before the camera would have swiveled around to spot him. Stowing his tools away he began to creep his way across the side lawn, ignoring the flamingos who blinked at him in cold induced sleepiness. They were the only ones that saw him. He easily avoided any other humans as he found an unlocked window.

Once inside he crept along the warm hallways and rooms until he found what he was looking for. Employee break room.

Slipping inside he quickly checked to be sure it was empty, and went over to the large metal lockers from which he pulled a guard uniform that appeared as though it may fit his tall form. He tugged it on immediately. "Hmm… not a bad fit." He mused as he tugged at the rather nice tailoring to get it to settle right.

The fact that he was the first Somalian guard the embassy had didn't occur to him. Then again, it was hardly something he needed to worry about. He had his ways of explaining if he were questioned. After all, this place was absolutely a terror to try and remain hidden in. Sometimes the best way to stay hidden, was to be in plain sight. Even if he had to answer a few innocent questions along the way.

That done, he went in search of the ambassador, leaving his other clothes safe inside the locker in a far back corner where they'd not be seen.

He found said ambassador on his way from his personal office to somewhere else, and he ignored the puzzled look the ambassador gave him. Instead he kept walking, as if with a purpose beyond that of his target.

"Who the hell are you?" Fane couldn't help but ask as the tall Somali man walked past him. The man was clearly a guard, but he'd never seen him before in his life.

Marks turned, immediately snapping to attention. "Foque Wu."

"I'm sorry?" Fane blinked, wondering if maybe he'd had too much to drink.

"My dad was Chinese. I'm a Somali man with a Chinese last name, is that a problem?" He made sure to say the last part with some amount of hysteria.

Fane shook his head immediately. "No… was just curious. Keep going about the good work." And he quickly left, muttering something about all of a sudden hiring Somali's to work at a Romanian embassy.

Marks smirked, wiped his face blank, and let Fane get more ahead of him before he began to track after him.

He was disappointed however when it only seemed he wanted to go to bed. But it wasn't as if he didn't have other things he could do while here. Like taking a peek inside that office. Whatever it was Edward was wanting to figure out… maybe he needed to do more than keep an eye on Fane. People like Fane didn't exactly hold meetings about everything. Keeping an eye on him could easily mean keeping an eye on what Fane was doing.

So he crept back towards the office, unseen by anyone else.

He doubted Collins would have gotten so far so easily.


	34. Chapter 34

So time for some fun without Ed or Roy...

Luckily everyone seems to enjoy Alice, Marks, and Collins... and I guess we'll see what you think about the latest person to join in the mess.

And the laptop is still on the fritz.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Four

**Briarwood Estate- London**

At present, Collins was parking his car about three hundred yards off or so from where Lady Alice's driver had parked their own car. After spending nearly two hours at one of London's most seedy nightclubs, in which he'd consumed quite a few margaritas that he'd been sure weren't so sweet they masked the flavor of the alcohol itself, Lady Alice had stopped her binge drinking and gyrating on the dance floor with random sauced sods who wouldn't remember their own name in the morning. And so he'd paid for his drinks, and had driven for almost half an hour out past the outskirts of London.

Now Lady Alice's car had parked beyond the gates of Briarwood Estate.

He had pulled his car off the side of the road into the cover of the trees. He cut the engine quickly, and sat waiting in his vehicle as he waited for something to happen. And truthfully he was very confused why she'd come here.

Briarwood wasn't exactly the type of place he'd expect someone like her to go. Especially after she'd just drunk and danced herself nearly unconscious. The estate belonged to a man who could only be described as legally insane. Mister Kedder hadn't always been, but after having been tortured in the war, any sanity was gone. The man he was now was an exact opposite from the one he'd been before the torture.

Or so the rumors went about the scientist whose intelligent mind had warped.

He watched, a frown growing on his brow, as Lady Alice could be seen exiting the car. She needed to take only a few steps towards the dark mansion before he was getting out of his own car. He shut the door softly, and checked to be sure his revolver and other gear was resting in place on his belt before he began to make his way around the far side of the mansion to keep an eye on her but remain unseen.

Alice didn't bother knocking, and went straight in through the front door. The doors of this place were never locked. No one ever came here. Well, it was rare. After all, she was here. But the man who lived here was a better barricade than the deadbolt of a door.

When one first thought of Briarwood, they expected cobwebs, spontaneous thunderstorms, and bent bald men lurking in the corners toting around goblets of blood. She'd been pleasantly, and slightly alarmingly surprised on her first visit here to see that such a thing was not the case. The mansion was quiet, and clean of both cobwebs and strange men. But in the absence of thunderstorms was a sensation of always being watched.

And Alice couldn't shake that feeling.

Rubbing one of her arms as shivers ran up her, she looked around, and then started towards the left hallway. Kedder was a firm exploiter of the fact that more people generally went right when they were lost… and she knew better than to go to the right.

She hadn't on her first trip here… she didn't plan to make that mistake again. The man had gotten far too delighted a laugh out of it. The creep.

But he was a useful creep right now, and so she'd bear it.

"Kedder!" She called out as she walked down the hallway on slightly unsteady legs. She was beginning to think that maybe she shouldn't have had that last shot of bourbon. It seemed to have been the slight weight needed to tip the scales of her equilibrium.

"Where are you, old man?" She called again, and ended up at the door that she now knew led to the man's workroom. She didn't bother knocking, and let herself in.

The hunched figure in a corner of the room snickered quietly to the beakers of bubbling viscous liquid of various colors on a long wooden table. "The little lady has returned, my pets." He whispered, brown eyes dancing with glee as they flicked from purple to orange mixtures and then over to Lady Alice. "What does she want, my pets?"

Alice wasn't sure she'd ever get used to this man. Though she hoped that this might actually be the last time she ever need visit him. She had thought the first time was the last, and that hadn't worked out at all. "Elric killed whatever you sent after him. Some wolf thing?"

"My pet? Dead?" Kedder keened, and gripped hard to the edge of the wooden table causing the beakers atop it to shudder violently and nearly tip. "My pet!"

Alice stopped a safe distance away, not trusting whatever was in those beakers. "You have plenty of pets, Kedder."

He turned his brown eyes on her, and they looked slightly crazed in the dim light coming only from the many flickering candles which he didn't consider a fire hazard. "Elric has killed a simple pet!" He informed her adamantly, as if she'd been arguing it with him.

Alice nodded. "Evidently. I don't think he even got a scratch. I-"

"The little lady underestimated him and cost me a simple pet, my pets." Kedder said as he stared back at the beakers.

"Not anymore, I don't care what it is you send after him this time. But it sure as hell better be the best you've ever created." Alice told him firmly. She wasn't about to let Fane try living up to his promise to drag her down with him if he fell. The bastard… he'd be lucky if she didn't have him done in as well after all this was over. She couldn't abide by the audacity he'd showed breaking into her room.

Kedder suddenly was striding towards her, still somewhat hunched over. "The best? Little lady asks for the best, my pets. Best of my pets… yes." He whispered as he hurried past her.

Alice turned to follow after him, staying a good distance away. She was still very much wary of the man. He was as unstable as they came, but his mind was still sharp. Just not in the ways that had made him great before his original self had been overthrown. "I haven't time to waste, Kedder. So you best not be jerking me around."

Kedder suddenly turned, and grabbed her by the wrist to jerk her down to his hunched level. "Jerk, jerk, jerk, little lady." He whispered silkily. "Little lady came to me because I hate Elric as much as she. My pets hate what I hate, my pets do. Little lady made the mistake, not Kedder. Behave, little lady, or I feed you to the gators who love little bits of royalty, yes they do."

Alice yanked away from him, horror and disgust clearly in her face. "Just do what I'm paying you for. Or the next time I come here I'll come armed."

Kedder turned and began to waddle away laughing in a high pitched tone. "Little lady shoot herself in the foot, my pets. Little lady is no Raymond Devaroe Muravyov, no she isn't. Little lady is only an inbred royal slut, yes she is."

Alice glared, but followed after him. "Only his close contacts ever mention his middle name. Why do you hate Elric if you liked Raymond?"

"Little lady asks too many questions about that which benefits her, my pets." Kedder spoke to the walls. "But I shant tell her, no."

"Freak." Alice muttered under her breath.

Kedder cackled in that high pitch, and only waddled faster down the hallways as he made his way towards his holding room. "Little lady will pay for more cyanide for Kedder, my pets."

"If only he used it on himself." She again muttered. It wasn't exactly something she felt he should hear when she still needed his help.

From around the corner that Lady Alice and Kedder had just passed by, Collins used his handheld mirror to peer around the corner to keep tabs on their movements. Only once they passed out of sight again did he hurry on silent feet after them. He wasn't worried about Alice spotting him. It was the scientist he was worried about.

Maybe they were only rumors… but he'd error on the side of being safe.

And he dared Marks to challenge him on it. So much for that ex-FBI bastard having the "harder" job. He doubted an embassy was as trap-riddled as Briarwood and its occupants were rumored to be.

As long as he didn't get shot in the ass, Marks owed him a drink.

He continued to creep after them, until they had stopped at one door which Kedder opened, and they went through before it closed again.

Alice held one hand over her nose and mouth against the smell of all the animals. All of which had begun making a racket at their entry.

Kedder waddled forward, "silence, my pets." He said in a voice that should have been too quiet for them to hear. Yet there was sudden collective silence.

Alice followed after him, still trying to block the stench. It wasn't the stench of an unsanitary room, for even with the hundreds of animals locked in their cages, it was as clean as a hospital. Just the smell of all the different animals mixing together was unsettling to her stomach. Especially considering she was sure the man had several maned wolves.

"Little lady wants a fierce pet to kill the Elric whelp." Kedder muttered as he headed for one of the farther cages. "Then a fierce pet must be unleashed."

Alice walked after him silently, sparing glances to all the cages she passed. There were animals in some of them that she didn't recognize. And animals she was sure had been obtained in quite illegal practices. But it was what Kedder did with the animals that she was sure was the most illegal. But as everyone avoided the man, no one knew. Even she hadn't before she'd come here the first time. She'd merely thought he'd give her some kind of a new scientific invention.

Not give her a timeframe in which he'd transport one of his pets to set loose.

Well, they were pets for him. But for anyone else? The minds of these animals were as warped as their master's. And whatever their master bade them to do, they did it without question. They'd been conditioned to act as living tools. As far as Alice could tell, there was no memory in their minds that they were even alive. They just existed to do whatever was ordered of them.

"This one, yes, my pets." Kedder said as he came to stand before a cage.

Alice came to stand beside him, and placed both her hands on her hips as she stared unimpressed into the cage. "What is it?"

Kedder was gleefully clapping his own hands as if he'd won a prize at a carnival. "Little lady asks what you are, my pet." He whispered in his customary way. "Little lady is inbred idiot."

Alice glared at him. "Hey! I'm right here you know!"

"This…" Kedder began eagerly, "is a dragon. Elric is no knight, he shall not slay a dragon, my pets."

Alice looked dubiously from the nine foot long lizard that was as big around the middle as an average sized man was, and then back to Kedder. "You're going to set a freakishly large lizard after Edward Elric? I doubt that will work. Even if it is as messed up in the mind as the rest of the things in this house."

"He will need more than a bullet to the heart to stop this pet." Kedder began to heave with repressed laughter. "Much more… and by then it will be too late."

"Just make sure Elric is dead by tomorrow, or I'm hiring someone with sniper experience." She informed him. "I haven't time to waste, I must get Roy."

Kedder reached past the bars to stroke the broad head of the komodo. "Little lady is much talk and little result from her own devices. Such an embarrassment it must be for her to feel the need to blame others when she was the first to fail and keep the rest failing because she is stupid and underestimates Elric."

Alice was glaring at him again. As creepy as Kedder was, she believed she disliked him with just as much passion. His way of talking to himself or his pets whether inanimate or not like he did. But she supposed that broken men had broken manners. She needed him for right now… but she'd be only too glad to break ties with the man who was as close to a mad scientist as she'd ever experienced.

Kedder was now unlocking the gate of the cage, and both he and Alice stepped back as the creature inside slunk out, forked tongue slipping out from between jaws lined with serrated teeth.

"I hope this thing knows what it's doing." She muttered under her breath.

Kedder giggled, and watched as his pet began to run off around the large holding room. "Pet must stretch his legs if pet will be off to kill."

"He better kill." Alice whispered as she watched the beast vanish between steel cages.

"Kill." Kedder's voice was eager. "Pet must kill."

He'd only gotten close enough to hear what they were saying, as he hunkered down behind one of the larger cages that contained several wolverines. He was sure they were the same pair that an article in the newspaper two months ago had proclaimed them as missing from the London Zoo. But their cage made a good place to lurk behind and listen.

And what he heard, he didn't like.

Lady Alice was plotting with that madman to have Edward killed? And that beast, he'd never seen such a monstrous reptile before that was not an alligator. It looked more like it belonged in the age of dinosaurs than here in civilized London. Did Edward suspect this? Was this the reason he was supposed to tail Lady Alice? But if Lady Alice was planning to murder Edward to get to Roy for whatever reason, than what the hell was Fane Banciu up to?

"What the hell did you get yourself mixed up in this time." Collins murmured under his breath, and looked away so he could begin to back his way out of the room. He suspected they'd be leaving here soon, and he wanted to be in a better position to keep following his target.

He was almost to the door.

He didn't hear the rapid click of claws until it was too late to escape.

Collins bit down a scream as serrated teeth drove deep into one calf. And he fought against being tugged down by that large reptile that was refusing to release him. White hot pain seared through him, and panic flickered to life as he realized the reptile wasn't letting go, and he was beginning to lose feeling in his leg.

Quickly, he grabbed the long bladed knife from his belt, and slashed down at the beast's mouth. The curved steel caught the corner of the jaw and tore a fair sized gap.

It worked.

The creature, whatever it was, shrieked in rage and pain, and as a result his leg was freed.

Collins hurried for the door, hearing rapid footsteps coming his way, but no one yet in sight. And he half ran, half drug himself to the door which he closed behind him before hobbling away as fast as he could.

Kedder immediately went to his injured pet, whispering what must have been soothing words in between angry mutters about who had done this to his pet.

"Fane." Alice whispered angrily as she watched the door bounce repeatedly in the frame from the force of which it was closed.

"Fane Banciu?" Kedder asked up at her from where he knelt tending to the non-severe slash.

Alice nodded grimly. "He must have followed me here, that bastard. Shame your little overgrown lizard didn't kill him."

Kedder shook fitfully, "he harmed my pet. Poor pet. But pet must have bitten him."

"Is that a good thing?" Alice asked over at him.

"Very good." Kedder whispered in agreement, and then burst out into his high laughter. "Pet may have killed him yet." He gloated through the laughs.

Alice crossed her arms, "and mother said politics are boring."

Collins fell out of the window that he'd shoved open, and tumbled to the snow covered grass in a heap. His calf had swollen to nearly twice its size, and the blood seeping from it wasn't clotting. He could feel numbness creeping up his leg accompanied by the inability to now move most of it, and he was starting to wonder what the hell he'd been bitten by.

Pulling himself up, he began what seemed like an everlasting journey back to the car. He knew he shouldn't run on what was little more than a stump of a leg right now, as it would only push whatever venom had been injected into him faster through his system, but he had no time to waste.

By the time he managed to reach the car, he was visibly shaking. His blood pressure had dropped, making him feel as if he were about to faint. And he'd never felt so cold before in his life. It wasn't from the snow, which he barely noticed was now falling again.

He fairly collapsed into the seat and shut the door, locking himself in before he reached for the CB radio with shaking hands.

**Romanian Embassy - London**

The clocks inside the embassy were tolling one in the morning when Marks finally left. He had changed into his regular clothes. The uniform he'd stuffed in the trash bin and covered with trash he created himself. It had been soiled by blood. Not his own, or that of someone who'd stood in his way. But of a wolf that he'd found trussed up in a back room. He was unsure of why there was a dead wolf in that room, but he had found the bullet hole that was still draining of blood.

And unfortunately he'd gotten some on the clothes. Not so unfortunate was the fact they were not his own clothes.

Now he was finishing his unseen hop over the wall. It was fortunate that the snow falling right now was thick enough to help hide him as well. And he sauntered across the street back over to where he could see the dark shape of his car through the snowfall. If only embassies knew just how easy they were to break into…

But it worked out lovely for him. Not that he planned to make his entire career into something related to breaking and entering internationally protected facilities. He was quite happy with his illegal gambling operation.

Being ex-FBi, he knew how to remain undetected. Though it still puzzled him how Edward knew about it… yet he owed the man for keeping it a secret. Among other reasons.

He got into his car, and before he started it grabbed a pad of paper and pen from the glove box. And he began to write his report for Edward, keeping it short and to the point. Really there hadn't been anything suspicious going on tonight. But if he wasn't mistaken, something had been, and Fane himself was looking distracted.

After he was done he capped the pen, tore off his report and flung the pad of paper aside. Folding the report up he set it on the seat beside him. He'd drop it off before he drove back here to catch some sleep and then spend an entire day tailing the ambassador.

His car revved to life, and he was pulling out from the curb when the radio crackled to life.

"_Marks…"_

He looked over at it with some surprise, and picked it up. "Collins, don't tell me I finished before you."

"_Lizard… attacked me…"_

Marks allowed himself one laugh that he kept from being overheard. "They can be vicious those lizards. Are you sure it wasn't a newt?"

"_Shut up and come find me… Briarwood… in the woods."_

Marks frowned as the radio went dead with a hiss, and he slowly placed his down to kill the signal. There was a good chance this was a prank of some sort. But then again…

"It's not as if I can't shoot him in the ass if he is messing with me. Probably. How stupid does he think I am? A _lizard_ attacked him?" Marks snickered as he began to head his car in the direction of Briarwood. "And I'm a fairy."

Well, he had to give the man props for choosing a good location for some lame ass attempt at a horror story. Though lizards in winter? He'd have been more convinced were it aliens.

The drive took him about a half an hour, and he cut his lights as he drove slowly along the road towards the mansion. Why the hell would Collins even come out here? It was in the exact opposite direction from where Alice lived, and well out of the way of any nightclubs. And seriously, there were plenty of graveyards along the way that could have been just as ideal locations.

He had nearly reached the mansion when he spotted the other car. It was nearly covered in snow, off the road and parked among the trees. He wouldn't have seen it at all had he not been looking for it. And so he eased his own car off the road and up towards Collins's.

He left the engine running as he got out of the car and made his way over to the other. As he approached, he saw Collins was indeed in there, but the man was slumped over sideways onto the opposite seat. "Shit."

Something wasn't right.

Tugging on the door, he realized the idiot had locked it. So he tugged off his jacket and wrapped his fist in it before punching the window in. Now he could tug the door open, and he instantly saw something wasn't right. Collins was far too pale, and the smell of blood was strong. "What the hell kind of lizard did you say attacked you?!"

But he didn't wait for an answer from the comatose looking man. It would have been faster to just take Collins's car, but he was wary about moving the man. So he grabbed him out, mentally swearing that something in this man's diet needed to be cut out. And he carried him back to his own car where with some difficult he managed to get him into the backseat.

"Just because you didn't get hurt in the ass this time doesn't mean I owe you a drink." Marks grunted as he deposited his load, glancing over the wound seeping blood still into the already soaked pant leg that was stretched taught over the swollen calf. Grabbing his knife, he sliced it up to relieve pressure. "And you are so cleaning my car." Ripping off a section of the now ruined pant leg he tied the length of fabric up around the top base of the wound to try and put some needed pressure on it.

"And if someone saw you before you got away from whatever lizard bit you, Edward is going to finish the job himself. Or I will." Marks slammed the car door shut, and went around to the driver side where he got in.

He immediately pulled the car back up to the road and began to head for the hospital. He had no other choice, as he really had no clue what was going on so he couldn't treat it himself.

"Only you would manage something like this. How sweet of you to leave me to explain it to Edward."


	35. Chapter 35

I must say I was very pleased to see how many people were predicting whether or not Collins would live, what I'd do to him, and what will become of Godzilla.

Well, my laptop is still being a royal pain in the arse. I think I've written too much about Alice on it. What other news... I should not have done laundry on a hurt arm, those of you who have Clubs for your cars, never accidentally hit your elbow with one. It hurts. Really bad.

Fic news for LJ... Fallen was updated to 17, and November to 6. At least I think it's 6... I'm so tired it took me about a minute to remember my password for the site. Now that's either sad, or I'm tired. Let's go with the later, shall we?

This does end with some Al/Marta stuff, just so everyone's aware. Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Thirty Five

The very next morning when Roy woke up he discovered he was alone in the bed. A look at the clock told him he'd not overslept, and a look around their room showed no sign of the blond. Assuming that Edward was off making breakfast, he got out of bed and took his time in the shower.

Afterwards, when the steam had cleared from the mirror, he stood in front of it with the towel only draped around his shoulders to catch the drips from his hair. He slowly looked himself up and down, noting that although it was slight, he could see that he was more filled out than the night he'd died and woke up here. He still hated how he looked like a plastic bag filled with sharp angles over most of his body, but it was going away.

Slowly.

A lot slower than he would have thought with the way Edward was feeding him and how much he was eating. But he was making progress, and that was what counted.

Turning away from his reflection he went in search of clothes.

Downstairs Edward was puttering around the kitchen in his bunny eared slippers carrying a pot of water to boil for tea and the butter tray over to the stove.

"I assume you left the gate open and the door unlocked for me?"

Edward set the pot onto the stove, not turning around. "I didn't find any reports with this morning's post. I assumed correctly that if I didn't, you'd try hopping the fence. And as much as I'd love to be entertained this morning, I'd rather have my reports. But tell me," he paused as he set the butter tray down and flipped the heat on for the burner the pot was on top of, "where is Collins?"

Marks stood in the doorway still, tired both physically and mentally. And for the first time ever when approaching Edward, he worried what the blond might say or do. "In the hospital."

Edward turned around now, a spatula with bits of shredded potato and the glistening of butter and olive oil still in his hand and held out as if he were about to start shaking it like some annoyed mother. "What did you do to him?"

"Me?!" Marks shook his head quickly, "no, sir. It wasn't me. I went and found him when he called me over the radio asking for help. The doctor told me he would have died if I hadn't gotten him there when I did."

Edward's eyes narrowed in a calculating way. "Sit." He said suddenly, pointing the spatula at the table along the wall. "You look about to fall over where you stand."

Marks quickly moved from the doorway to sit as he was bade. And once he had he met the unnerving golden gaze that was still fixed on him.

"Explain." Edward ordered quite calmly, and turned to give the potatoes another poking.

"I only know what Collins told me over the radio before the transmissions from his end ended." Marks put out there just to be clear, though he knew Edward probably assumed that already. "He told me that a lizard had attacked him. He needed me to come find him. I thought it was a practical joke, him having drunk too much following that ditz around nightclubs." Marks frowned, and suddenly shook his head. "He'd told me he was in the woods around Briarwood. He-"

"Briarwood?" Edward repeated sharply, and paused in pouring tea so he could stare at Marks with a hard look that was impossible for the ex-FBI agent, so accomplished at reading people, to discern.

Marks nodded. "He was there, off in the woods locked in his car." And he waited, unsure if Edward had more to say about it.

Edward's lips pulled into a thin smile, and he finished pouring a third cup. "Roy, do you remember Shou Tucker?"

Roy, who had been leaning in the doorway listening ever since Edward had cut this strange man off, nodded. And ignored the startled look the man gave him as he watched the blond. "Is he another you found then?"

"Yes. Sadly. Though I expect the only silver lining is that he has no wife or children, never did." Edward set the pot back onto the stove.

Marks looked between them, and finally settled eyes on Roy. "How did you do that? Make no noise? I should have known you were there!"

Roy smirked over at him, "don't let it bother you too much. My guess is that Edward could sneak up on you as well. It's just something that we learned a long time ago."

Edward was trying not to chuckle his amusement as he padded around to pass Marks a cup of tea and walk Roy's over to him.

Marks was rather unsettled by it all. "Yes… it's strange."

"Very strange." Roy agreed, upon seeing what was on Edward's feet. "Those are charming, what poor child did you steal those from?"

Edward stuck his tongue out. "Oh shut up, Mustang." And he turned with a bit of a laugh to head back over to the stove. "Continue, Marks."

Marks nodded, and turned his attention away from Roy and to the blond standing there stirring something in a pan. "He was locked in the car, I had to break the window to get him out. He'd been bitten on his leg, the wound wasn't clotting at all… and his calf had swollen up so much I had to cut his pant leg. I bound it as best I could." He took a breath, and a sip of tea- noting that it was making him very relaxed. He wondered if Edward had planned that. "The doctor said that there was such an infection already festering at such a rapid rate they couldn't drain whatever it was in time. They had to amputate the leg from the knee down, and have his blood circulating through a prototype machine to clear toxins from his system. He's on so many meds that he's in a medically induced coma right now. But they say he'll live."

Roy was frowning, and he glanced from this Marks man towards Edward, and waited silently.

Edward slowly laid down his spatula, reached up to turn the heat down but not off, and turned to Marks. "What did the bite marks look like? How wide? Deep?"

Taken aback by the strange questions, Marks thought back carefully. "The wounds went about an inch deep… but the general shape of the marks looked like he'd been bitten by serrated teeth. Not anything like a dog. They weren't simple bites at all."

"Lizard huh." Edward passed a hand over his eyes, and let out a sigh. "Fortunately it's the middle of winter… but Kedder… I had hoped Alice was smarter than to go to him. Seems her stupidity dashed my hopes." He had no problem confronting the deranged scientist about it. But it didn't mean that he wanted to, he'd hoped never to see Kedder again after the last time.

Marks frowned, "what does Kedder have to do with Lady Alice?"

Edward leaned against the counter on his hands, and looked over to him. "Just keep an eye on Fane. I'll handle Kedder… and Alice's fate should already be in the morning paper."

"And Collins?" Marks asked, standing and leaving his finished cup of tea there on the table. He knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"He is the concern of the hospital right now." Edward replied, "your concern is not to end up there yourself by underestimating Fane. He'd be a smart man to be suspicious, and a suspicious and paranoid man will shoot before he thinks."

Marks nodded, "Mister Elric." He said quickly, and turned to leave, giving Roy a polite nod as he passed.

Roy waited until he heard the man's footsteps blocked by the closing of the front door before he spoke. "What's this mission you've got playing out, Fullmetal?"

Edward was back to attending to the breakfast. "I'd told you that I wanted Alice followed and watched. I wanted to know who was behind trying to kill me with that wolf. I used Fane to start it, because I knew for sure it wasn't him. He must have gone off on Alice, and she panicked. She would have gone back to whoever she'd hired to kill me."

"You knew it isn't Fane?" Roy frowned, and went to sit down. "How did you know?"

"Because of what I know of Fane. Using a wolf… he was being set up. Now I don't know if Kedder did it, or Alice did. But Fane would not have chosen such a way to kill me, he'd have chosen something more subtle. I know the man's type, I've been dealing with them for decades." Edward explained, and pulled down plates. "And so now I know just who Alice has working for her, and it makes sense. It being Tucker's reflection and all. It doesn't surprise me that Kedder would have nasty little animals he's warped into killing tools. But I have many enemies… I had to know for sure. And honestly, Kedder is the last person I would have expected Alice to go to."

"Why is that?" Roy asked as he helped carry food and dishes over to the table.

"He's insane." Edward said mildly. "The only reason he wasn't institutionalized was because he's hiding away in that forsaken estate. But apparently not lately…"

Roy nodded, and sat down at the table to begin helping dish the food onto the plates. "And was that one of your shady friends?"

"Mhm." Edward smiled a bit. "Roble Marks. He's probably as good, or better, with a gun than Hawkeye. But I'm surprised he actually went to go check on Collins like that. Much less help him. I know they'd rather see each other dead than anything else."

Roy smiled back faintly. "He'd probably rather be the one to kill him then. It isn't as satisfying that way."

Edward could see the sense in it. But those two rarely thought sensibly around each other. But perhaps there was more to that whole idea of "never leaving a man behind" than he thought. He'd never had to experience it. He'd never been part of a team and the only one to ever travel with him was Al. And he had always known his brother could take care of himself. "I suppose not, though Collins is going to be in mourning for both his ass and his leg now. But better than death."

And Edward knew he could emphasize with losing part of a leg. He'd never have a whole body again, and eventually you got used to it. But at least Marks had lost his while under anesthesia. He'd had none of that. After having his leg ripped from him by the Gate he'd undergone automail surgery with absolutely nothing for the pain. And in the end, losing a real leg was better than dying. You did start to no longer notice.

Roy was silent for a bit as he watched Edward think, and finally said, "you know what bit this Collins guy, don't you."

"Yes, I do."

"And?" Roy was intrigued. "Was it a lizard? Or was he just hallucinating from one too many beers at the nightclub?"

Edward gave him a wry smile. "Oh it's a lizard all right. But if Kedder thinks that it could get through all the snow before it freezes to death, he's more insane than I thought."

"Now don't you start underestimating anyone." Roy cautioned. "Just what sort of lizard are we talking about?"

"Well," Edward laughed lightly, "it can be about ten feet long from head to tail. I like to think of them as venomous land crocodiles."

"A crocodile…" Roy echoed, trying not to look too confused.

Edward grinned at him, "a trip to the zoo might be in order one of these days. But for now, I'll give you an animal encyclopedia. You can look up Komodo dragons while you're at it, which is the lizard that attacked Collins."

"I will." And then Roy grinned. "Where'd you get those slippers from, seriously."

Edward smirked at him, "I am allowed to own and wear something cute."

"That's not an answer, Ed my love." Roy teased, and nudged the blond with his foot under the table. "Nothing you wear is as cute as you though. I'd prefer you in nothing at all, that's cute enough."

"I bought them a few years ago at a store, and not in the children's section!" He added quickly, stuffed a last bite of food into his mouth, and slipped from his seat to push Roy's chair back in order to let him straddle the man's legs. "And you, sir, are a flirt. Do you want to know what I do with flirts?"

Roy placed his hands on Edward's hips, his fingers rubbing up and down. "Flirt back I hope?" He asked innocently and with a smile.

Edward hummed in agreement. "But only when they're you. Are you done eating for now?" He asked as he nuzzled against Roy's neck.

"I've forgotten you even cooked." And it must have been the correct answer, because the food was about to go cold before either of them finished it.

Over an hour later when breakfast finally got around to being finished, the two of them went outside together after grabbing jackets. Edward didn't really need to go into work today, and was unconcerned about doing anything just yet about Kedder. He wanted to wait for the morning newspaper to hit the fan before he acted. As he was sure that if he jumped ahead and did something about Kedder, that it could only mess up what he had planned for Alice and Fane.

He didn't need very much to ruin them both. With both of their reputations, by the time anything was proved otherwise, he'd be rid of two people who annoyed him to no end. Not that he suspected Fane would be leaving the country, but he was certain that the man would keep a lower profile. Alice on the other hand… the girl's father knew more than she seemed to think. This would most likely become the last the man could take.

And as far as Edward was concerned, it was a small price for her to pay in allowance to keep her life.

Roy was watching Edward carefully as they walked around the backyard so far undisturbed by a certain llama, filly, or huge monsters. And finally he stopped the blond and pulled him into a hug. He could feel the surprise radiating off the man he held, and only held him tighter. "I know you'll refuse to let me help you in any way. I know that right now it's safest for me here. But whatever it is you're planning that's going to be dangerous, be careful."

Edward slowly put his arms around Roy to hug him back, a smile slowly slipping onto his face. "I promise I will be. Soon this will be over. And soon I'll feel better about your safety leaving here. A few more weeks maybe, and it will have all died down."

"Thank you." Roy whispered softly. "I know I've probably said it before, but I can't lose you again. I can't go through it again."

"You'll never have to. Even if in old age I have to kill you before I give in to time."

"That's morbid."

Edward grinned against Roy's chest, and chuckled lightly. "I know, but I really would do whatever I had to, whatever you needed, so you wouldn't suffer again."

Roy rolled his eyes, and placed a kiss down on the blond hair. "I wouldn't put it past you. I've known you too long."

Edward pulled away just enough to look up into Roy's eyes. "I've worked for you for too long."

"That too." Roy grinned, and looked out across the snowy yard and trees bare of leaves. It was strange for it all to be so empty looking. He was so accustomed to Nitro at least being around.

Edward glanced over his shoulder, and then back up to Roy. "Don't worry about her. They all probably went to the lake to drink." And he added with a glower, "and eat my rose bushes."

Roy smirked at the annoyed look on Edward's face. "Eat your rose bushes? Do they do this a lot?"

"It's the easiest thing for them to eat this time of year." Edward sighed, and shook his head morosely. "They leave them alone until the snow starts frustrating them."

"Now that you remind me of it, you said you'd once show me why the chateau is called what it is. Are these the same roses?" Roy asked him.

Edward nodded, "and one day I will show you. Once you can manage to stand riding one of the horses for a longer period of time. As much as I love walking, I am _not_ walking that distance ever again unless in an emergency. And while I'd love to call you an emergency, you're just not anymore." He grinned up at the older man.

"Excuse me? Anymore?" Roy gaped at him dramatically. "When was I ever an emergency?"

"Oh you know," Edward, still grinning, began as he sidled back into the tighter embrace, "you showing up here and getting tackled. You dating all those one-dimensional whores back home. You actually agreeing to face me in an alchemy fight and get your ass kicked across the parade grounds."

"Hey!" Roy could no longer stay silent when _that_ was brought up. "You make it sound like I was standing still and never had a chance!"

Edward laughed evilly. "You were when I got pointed steel under your throat. Though," he pulled away again to consider Roy's reproachful face with a smile, "we both knew I never would have hurt you."

Roy rolled his eyes, "so you say now when half of our time home together is now spent having sex."

"You make that sound like a bad thing." Edward smiled coyly, and leaned up to brush a kiss along Roy's jaw. "Careful, Roy, I'll make you sleep in your old room."

Roy smiled, and angled his head to catch Edward's wandering lips against his. He waited until he had Edward breathless before pulling away, determined that the blond wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise. "That, would make me an emergency again." And he dove back in for another searing kiss.

Edward lasted all of two seconds out there in the snow, before he was pulling Roy back to the chateau still locked at the lips with him. Fourteen more steps and they'd be inside and he could put that ballroom floor to good use.

"Now who's the feisty one this morning?" Roy asked with a chuckle as they parted for air and so Edward could kick the door to the veranda shut behind them.

Edward grinned, and tugged Roy back to him. "You always did bring it out in me, Flame."

Roy laughed and met Edward's kiss with equal intensity, and was more than happy to assist with the removing of jackets. They were flung away carelessly when Roy suddenly pulled away from the kiss.

"What?" Edward growled, he wanted Roy _now_!

Roy cocked his head towards the door. "Who do you think it is?"

Edward too had heard the knocks to the front door, and shrugged. "If they're still there when I'm done with you, we'll discuss." And he promptly pounced his lover without further ado.

Meanwhile around London, the morning newspapers were being opened.

**Toronto**

It had been decided, as Alphonse and Marta finally made their way back from the play and then the drinks afterwards that had somehow taken them up to closing time for the latest open bar in the area, that neither of them was getting any sleep tonight… rather, this morning.

Alphonse had more information to go gather for his article at eight in the morning, which technically meant he could have time to get _some_ sleep. But he was unwilling. Not when Marta would only get at the very most an hour of sleep before she'd have to be up to start baking and open the bakery. She had accepted his offer to help her since she would be tired on only two conditions.

One, that he didn't touch anything that was to become food of any sort.

He'd agreed.

Two, that he would come in for some coffee. To put themselves right in the head before they began.

He'd agreed.

So for the first time ever, Al stepped inside the small house of the woman he'd been growing very close to.

"Come on." Marta smiled at him as they took off their jackets. She took his and laid it over a chair in the hallway. "You want more sugar in your coffee this time?"

Alphonse followed after her as she led the way to the kitchen. "No, the caffeine should put me right again just fine. And keep me awake."

Marta only swayed a bit unsteadily, but managed. "See, it's a good thing I stopped at the third glass of wine and the second sake bomb… and the two mixed drinks with the whiskey shots."

Al grinned and took the coffee pot she thrust at him so he could go put some water in it. "I don't know, I'm fairly impressed you're holding up so well." Which actually didn't surprise him in the least. The old Marta had been able to hold her liquor very well too.

"I don't normally drink that much. It used to make me pass out until I got used to it." Marta admitted, "mind, I only do that… rarely. And never before with-" she flapped a hand his way.

Al chuckled, "deceptively charming men?" He suggested lightly.

"That you are." Marta agreed with a smile and finished pouring the coffee beans into the grinder.

"Mind if I ask the reasons you normally drink that much?" Alphonse asked, walking over to the coffee maker to pour in the water and set the glass pot down back to the hot plate.

Marta began to grind as she spoke. "When something goes incredibly wrong… or right. The first time was when nobody could understand that I wanted to do this with my life. And then it became the first time I made a profit. When I paid the property in full to own the titles. And now with you."

"And am I incredibly wrong, or incredibly right?" Al asked her, leaning back against the counter as he came to stand beside her.

She smiled at him, amused, and happy. "You're leading me on there."

"Absolutely not!" He protested with a laugh and a grin as he held his hands up in surrender.

"You're both." Marta finally said, and looked away from him. "All the right sorts of wrong."

Alphonse looked at her thoughtfully, but he didn't say anything further until she had finished grinding, and tipped the grounds into the filter. "Right sorts of wrong?"

Marta met his questioning look, and offered a small smile. "I'll miss you when you go back to England." She finally admitted, and walked over to sit down at the kitchen table with a sigh.

Following after her, Al sat down as well in a vacant chair. He reached out to take one of her hands in his own gently. "I see…" and he did understand now what she'd been getting at. "The thing is though," he said meeting her gaze unwaveringly, "is that just because I will have to go back, doesn't mean I don't want to see you again. I knew I would have to leave, but if I for a minute believed that that would be the end of it, I'd never have kissed you that first time. Unless you feel differently, then I would very much like to see you again."

Marta considered him thoughtfully. Out of any person she'd ever dated, she'd never had as much fun as she did with Al. And it didn't matter if they were just sitting around talking, it was easy to be around him. Strange as he could be at times. "I would like that. Very much. And I'd say that to no one else you know at the risk of sounding clingy… but you know I'm not. I'm just being honest."

It was just easy to say what was on her mind around him, be completely honest. And never had she been given any reason to believe Al would want otherwise. His interest seemed genuine.

Squeezing her hand, Al nodded with a smile. "So until then, let's just enjoy what we have now. We'll figure out the harder stuff later." And once he had a smile in reply, he leaned in to steal another kiss which was quickly returned.

The coffee maker had a timer on it; it would alert them when their coffee was done. Until then though, they had each other…

…and a hell of a long day ahead of them after a night of no sleep. But that's what coffee and kisses were for.


	36. Chapter 36

moonstone: Ed can pull off the bunny slipper look, he's just sexy like that.

GreedxEd: How did you not manage to pry that little bit of information about Kedder out of me? And you better run from Scar. And that is sort of the reason yes... that's part of the upcoming plot, dear wife XD.

AMLF: More Roy/Ed is always yummy to have.

Bar-Ohki: It'd make more of an impact I think if I killed Nitro rather than Collins... not that I'm going to kill a certain llama.

Shinimegami: Oh Alice's reaction... how I hope it lives up to her crazy self.

.bunny: A lot of people seem to be feeling Marks and Collins as a pair, I'm not denying anything, but not agreeing either. I'm leaving that one open for interpretation. I'm glad you enjoyed all the rest of that though, including the Al/Marta bit. You're one of the few to have commented on it.

Koorii: I have no idea why you see Havoc... and I thought our minds pretty much ran on the same train tracks XD.

Cheru: Ed with bunny slippers is just too cute and yet sexy an image. He'd never agree with the adorable/cute part though, at least not with me.

copycat: That's always nice to hear.

Moonlit: I like my komodo dragons... XD. At least Al and Marta don't have to deal with one, eh?

haganeno: I'm glad you caught up! You were only two behind though, right? Yes... like Al/Marta... come over to the darker side. And one day I shall convert you to my favorite Al pairing and you'll be helpless. XD

vermilion: Oh I'm not worried about submitting "lemons", I just don't do it on this site. Any smut I write for any of my fics is on my FMA LJ.

* * *

So this chapter's a bit long... ish, according to Word page numbers. I figure you all will have no complaints though. It's meant to move along, so I hope it does.

I hope you enjoy the bits of chaos I threw in.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Six

Fane was starting to become suspicious, and just a bit unnerved by the events that had occurred from the moment he emerged from his bedroom. The cleaning staff had avoided him, which was not at all unusual for them. Rather, it was their manner of doing so. A quick about-face which allowed him only the briefest of glances to see smirks slipping onto faces. The embassy guards seemed to be trying to hide smiles behind some poor imitation of the Buckingham guards. Other staff appeared to be having trouble meeting his gaze as well without some form of humor appearing on faces or in eyes.

The most perplexing event was when the three escorts he employed for their favors at his calling slapped him across the face and then marched back to their shared room while talking loudly in angry voices about how they were packing their bags and leaving.

Now they were no more to him than a harem that he could easily replace. But…

"What the hell?!" Fane swore loudly as he rubbed at his abused face. "Go to bed for eight hours and the embassy goes to pot!"

With a sudden renewed energy, Fane took off for his office. Determined to figure out the reason for the strange happenings. The sudden suspicion that somehow Alice had something to do with it after his argument with her yesterday and his threats sent him running the rest of the way to his desk.

He didn't hear the giggles, coos, and grunting noises that men did when they were impressed by something as he fled.

Reaching his desk he fairly fell out of his chair he landed in it so fast and at such an odd angle. His knee did bang against the unforgiving wood, causing him to swear colorfully. He grabbed the phone and his coffee which he took a bracing swig of, and was halfway through dialing the number for the chateau she lived in before the phone suddenly dropped from his grip, and the coffee in his mouth spat across his desk in a wide arc.

"FUCKING SHIT!"

Fane suddenly gave an inhumane sort of wail, and began to repeatedly hit his head down on the desk. "I'm-"whack, "-gonna-" whack, "-kill-" smash, "-that satanic bint!" He righted himself, breathing heavily and now suffering of a headache, a bruised knee, several slaps, and loss of breath. In fact, he was fairly sure he was hyperventilating.

And he was.

Gasping for air he tried to steady himself as his face drained of color and the world began to go fuzzy. Several chants of "fuck" left him feeling better. Until all of a sudden he got a grip on himself, and the newspaper.

There, staring at him in blaring front page headlines with promises for the full story inside, was his motivation to stone that evil creature until she was nothing more than fertilizer for his zoo.

'_LADY ALICE DOES IT AGAIN! KNOCKED UP BY ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR!'_

"Does it _again_?!" Fane gaped at the headline. "That _whore_!" The fact that he had three whores now packing their things and departing the embassy gates did not cross his mind. "I did not, _will not_, ever sleep with that idiot!"

But no one else knew that… yet. They'd have to wait to confirm she was pregnant. And he was reasonably sure that she wasn't. She had her heart set on that Mustang, and he sincerely doubted that the man had put out for her.

"She is so screwed this time, I know she had something to do with this!" It had to be her idea of a good reaction to get back at him for his storming over and threatening her sorry ass yesterday. He had been sure she was behind the strange happenings around the embassy even before he'd seen that headline. And now this!

Of course, the fact he'd actually burst into her bedroom yesterday morning wasn't boding well for the whole affair. But by the end of today, it wouldn't matter. He'd have her fleeing to Siberia so fast the customs agents wouldn't know what hit them. And then all of this would go away as soon as it was found she wasn't pregnant.

Luckily it was the gossip column… so he shouldn't have much to worry about as far as people believing it. Right?

Lunging up from his chair he fairly flew from his office.

**Chateau Home of Lady Alice, Family, and Underappreciated Servants**

"Hunny?" George Laning, a lord of the country, husband to Lady Janet, and father to his own personal aristocratic nightmare was sitting at the breakfast table looking worn to the bone. In front of him lay a section of newspaper the family butler had just brought to him. Said butler usually kept him abreast of the happenings in the papers regarding his daughter. This time was no different.

Janet looked up from her marmalade and toast to spare her husband a glance. "Yes, dear?"

George, who had just managed to gulp down the headline while growing progressively wearier, left off reading the first paragraph. "I think we need to have a talk with Alice."

"Why?" Janet suddenly perked up, interested. "What's happened?"

In answer, he sent the newspaper her way across the table.

"Lady Alice does it again-" her mother read out loud, and then, "WHAT?!"

Her screech startled the servers waiting on them off out of the way. And several winter birds from beyond the dining room windows took flight with frightened peeps.

"_AGAIN?!_" Janet had turned an interesting mix of purple and white. "She was… was…"

"Pregnant?" George offered tiredly.

"-before?" Janet ended with wild eyes. And suddenly she turned completely white. "Do you think this is true? It'd ruin her forever if it were. A child out of wedlock and not to mention with _him_!"

George shook his head, "we'll have to talk to her. But either way, dear, you have to see what I've been saying all this time. You have to see the sense in it. If she's not corrected of these behaviors soon, and by force - no more of your mollycoddling - then she will bring the remainder of our family line down around her head. Our ancestors must be rolling in their graves, over two hundred years of blue blood in our veins and one child is well on her way to destroying that."

"But she's just a child… this has to be a lash out due to what happened with Mister Muravyov. You know it has to be, she had her heart set on him." Janet pleaded even as the paper crumpled in her death-grip.

"She's no longer a child. According to that-" George waved a disgusted hand at the morning's copy of _The Guardian_, "-she's about to have one. And she's in her mid-thirties! No, my love, she is no longer a child. It is time we acted before we lose her all together."

Janet looked down at the paper with a torn expression, and her eyes clenched shut as she took in the gravity of the situation at hand. It wasn't what she wanted to do at all… to give in to what her husband had wanted to do with their daughter for years. Alice was her only child… but her husband was right. Alice was no longer a child. "You must be the one to do it. I cannot be a part of it."

"No." George argued firmly. "You will not make me the singular bad parent. You're going to stand beside me on this one, Janet. Don't be selfish and cause even more problems for this family."

"But…" at her husband's reproachful gaze though, she felt her resolve waver. "Fine. She'll hate us both though, you know. We could lose her forever."

"Better a 'could', than the certainty that we will if we allow her to continue on this path. At least this way, she'll still be our daughter." George reminded her. "And once she's had time to think over all of this, a few years, she'll understand what we did was for her own good."

Janet bowed her head, suddenly realizing her loss of appetite. "And what of Mister Banciu?"

George reached for his coffee. "What of him?"

Janet looked up at her husband now with wide eyes and an incredulous look splashed across her face. "What do you mean "what of him?"? If he fathered a child, then he has certain obligations to be making."

"You said it yourself." George said once he'd finished drinking the remainder of his coffee. ""_If he fathered a child…_" we do not know yet that he did. But it doesn't matter, nor will it change what we're going to do about Alice."

Janet nodded, and took a deep breath to settle herself before asking, "do you want to deal with the arrangements or shall I?"

"You go on ahead, make sure everything is ready so that today she leaves. I have a few phone calls to make so that the others are informed I will be late for today's session of Parliament. I am sure Alice will not make this easy. Nor fast."

It was agreed upon, and the couple finished eating their breakfast only to maintain a façade of normalcy to the ever-watching eyes of the staff of the estate. Words were words, but acts of completely "losing it" as the commoners put it, would be sure to be circulated like wildfire and take on venomous twists.

When one lived with servants, there was never any privacy.

After breakfast the two went their separate ways to make phone calls before reconvening at their daughter's bedroom door. The now wrinkled copy of the newspaper clenched in George's hand. Janet was the one who rapped lightly on the door, before opening it and admitting them.

Alice was still asleep.

It was Janet who threw open the heavy curtains to let sunlight spill in, but it was George who as their daughter wriggled in bed muttering curses about still being asleep, tossed the newspaper onto her face.

"Wake up, Alice." George told his daughter firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Something Alice didn't pick up on in her woozy state. She'd been out late last night drinking. And then she'd been at Briarwood which was a hell of a drive either way you looked at it. Not to mention the stress of going to such a place coupled with the anger she'd felt towards Fane. She'd spent much of the early hours of the morning planning how to confront him… if the poor bastard was still alive.

And now here her parents were, flooding the room with that damned weak winter sunlight, and tossing things on her face? She wasn't of the nicest temperament in the morning as it was! "Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep here!"

"No, Alice." George said firmly. "You're going to get out of this bed, and pack a suitcase. You're going on a little trip. So up, up! Your mother has already made the travel arrangements."

Janet nodded. "You must hurry."

Alice immediately perked up at this. "Really? Where am I going? Rome? Milan? Paris?" She asked eagerly, and then suddenly remembered Roy, Fane, and that damnable Edward Elric. "How long is the vacation?"

Surprising both her husband and herself, Janet was the first to answer. "Berane, Montenegro."

"Really?!" Alice practically squealed.

"Yes. Now while I realize that it is more noted for its monasteries, there is a lovely convent there as well." Janet added over her daughter's sudden launch into fantasized shopping.

Alice suddenly fell silent, staring at her mother much as if she'd taken leave of her senses. And then it happened. "CONVENT?!"

In the hallways, the maids all jumped at the sudden shouted word.

"You're sending me to a _convent_?!" Alice shrieked as she leapt off the bed, unconcerned with her flimsy nightclothes.

"Yes." George answered firmly. "And you will stay there until the other Sisters believe that you have amended your… sinful ways."

Alice rounded on him, "sinful ways? I'm your daughter! _And_ my horses have won the majority of steeplechases for five years running! Money you've taken and used! You can't send me away!"

"You weren't riding the horses, dear." Janet sighed.

"Alice!" George barked, before the incensed blond could launch into another rant. "For years your mother and I have turned a blind eye to your… unsavory activities." And he took notice of the surprise flitting across his daughter's face. "Yes, we knew. But now things have gone too far. If we allow you to continue you'll not only ruin yourself, but ruin the rest of the family. We're sending you away for reform, to save us all. But tell us… is that article there in the paper true about you?"

All of a sudden, Alice remembered the newspaper. And her father's strange question put her previous comments at bay as she dashed over to swipe it up from the bed. She got to the headline about her – she knew where to look – and her eyes widened. "That BASTARD!"

"It will be since it's out of wedlock." Janet muttered.

"I'm not pregnant!" Alice hissed at her angrily. "I'd never spread my legs for that creepy spider of a man! Have a doctor check me, I don't care. But I am not going to a convent!"

"You are." George said firmly. "Pack your bag. The car will be around any minute now. The driver will make sure you get on the flight."

"The convent can have a doctor come in to perform the exam, but you're still going." Janet added.

Alice shook her head, and suddenly grabbed her dressing gown and drew it on. "I don't think so. I'm a grown woman and I can refuse to go!" With that, she slammed the newspaper into her father's chest.

"Alice," Janet began firmly, "either pack one bag, or all of them. Because if you do not go and are rid of your free nature with liquor and men, I'm afraid your father and I will have to disown you. As archaic as it is."

Alice stared from them, to the newspaper, and she saw white. "He did this to get back at me for using someone else. That bastard… I told him never to mess with me." And before either of her parents could stop her she was dashing out of her room covered only by her thin nightclothes and a dressing down.

"Alice!" Janet called after her, and dashed after her daughter.

George meanwhile put a hand to his forehead, praying for this all to somehow work out as he stood there still in the room.

"Alice!"

Alice could hear her mother calling after her, but she didn't respond. She didn't even care of the scene they were causing. She only ran faster, barely being careful on the stairs and nearly falling several times. And then she was dashing for the front door to run outside in the snow barefoot.

"Alice!" Janet got to the front door gasping, and looked around but couldn't see where the younger woman had gone. And footprints didn't help here, as the snow was disturbed by a great many footprints from staff of the estate.

Meanwhile Alice made it to the stable. She ignored the men who offered to help her, shoving them away at times. "Leave me alone or I'll fire you!" She snapped at one of the men in particular as she reached the stall of one of her horses.

"But milady!" The man protested, noticing the woman's mood was making the already high strung animal nervous. "You're not yourself!"

"You can fuck off like my parents." She growled, and grabbed the bridle from its hook and let herself into the stall.

The man hesitated, before dashing out towards the yard intent on finding said parents.

Alice was grumbling under her breath as she tacked the skittish animal which she repeatedly had to order to stay still. "Think they're so clever. Oh yes, disown me if I don't go to a convent. How clever. The time for playing nice is over. I'm not coming back until I have Roy with me, and then how will they say no? They won't. Roy's a prize to the family. He'll be mine."

She led the animal out of the stall and scrambled up onto the mare's back. Right before she laid her whip into the horse to send her shooting off out of the stable and galloping into the snow. They ploughed right through, heading for the gates.

"Too late." The member of the stable staff who had run to fetch one of the parents gasped as he and the Lady Laning watched Alice ride by.

Janet was more horrified at Alice's state of undress than anything. "Alice! Get back here!" And when she received no response she shoved the man next to her in Alice's direction. "Get after her!"

"Yes ma'am!" He immediately started running down the snow covered drive.

And then Janet's heart stopped as she heard the squealing of tires, and a scream from the horse.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

Thomas whirled around from the front door which he'd been knocking on for the past ten minutes or so when he heard the commotion. It sounded as if it had been close… very close. It was at that moment the door finally opened, and he turned back quickly to see his boss standing there in the doorway looking cheerful but curious.

"Thomas?" Edward questioned. "I wasn't expecting you, what is it?"

"I was going to ask if you had anything to do with that paper about Alice," Thomas admitted, and turned back around, "but I think there was some sort of an accident out there just now."

"Accident?" Edward asked sharply. "Which direction?"

Thomas pointed, "car tires. And I couldn't be sure but I think I heard a horse."

Edward blinked, and as another scream faintly reached them, he swore. "Never a dull moment. One minute." And he closed the door to walk over and find his boots and coat. "Roy, I may need your help."

"May need my help?" Roy asked as he wandered into view.

"I have a feeling that Alice just blew a gasket seeing that article." Edward explained.

"What article?"

"One I had written about her being pregnant with Fane's child."

Roy grinned, "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

Edward laughed, "of course. I'm not worried so much about what may have happened to her, bitch is trying to have me killed, but Thomas is out there. Says he thinks he heard a horse panicking."

Roy, who'd been in the process of getting on his own boots, suddenly stopped. "Oh no. No, no, no. I am not helping you with a horse. They're scary."

"Just come with me, you won't have to get near it. But I may need some help." He prodded, and smiled as Roy gave in with a huff. "Thanks, love."

"You owe me." Roy made sure to point out to him.

Edward grinned at him devilishly. "Then I'll make sure I pay in full very soon."

When they were both ready they met Thomas outside before walking down the driveway and then through the gates to see what had happened.

"Huh." Roy and Edward said together, as Thomas merely paled.

There was one car belonging to Fane turned on its side in a snowdrift. There were skid marks on the road showing where the man had swerved to avoid hitting the horse and rider who'd appeared out of nowhere around the corner. Said rider was on the road, snarling at the uniformed staff from the estate who'd been nearest and already made it. The horse was in the middle of the street looking ready to bolt in seven hundred different directions and trying to bite anyone she thought was too close.

"How can you 'huh'?" He asked in a strained tone.

Edward waved a hand. "You don't want to know the things I've seen. This is actually rather lucky."

Roy nodded, but gulped and backed away as his eyes riveted on the panicking horse. "Lucky but for that demon. You're on your own there, Fullmetal."

Thomas looked over at his boss. "You're going to try and catch it?"

"Don't really have much choice now do I?" Edward asked, and watched as the mare sidestepped so fast away from another staff member that she nearly tangled her feet and fell over. "Can't let her just stay out in the middle of the road." And he walked forward.

"I will never get that man." Thomas sighed.

Roy chuckled from where he watched over Edward at a safe distance. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you never will. Edward is a very private person. Has been since I first met him. Just when you think you have him figured out, he goes and does something that leaves you doubting whether you know him at all."

Thomas could easily believe that. "Even for you?"

"Yes…" Roy admitted. "Even for me. Being here with him has been quite the experience."

"Are you ever going to tell me why you call him that sometimes?"

"Call him what?"

"Fullmetal."

Roy smirked, and shook his head. "No. And if you want my advice, I wouldn't call him it yourself. There's a history behind that name and he would take offense if you used it."

"I'd never assume to become so familiar with him." Thomas assured the man.

Meanwhile they were both watching Edward shooing away the people that kept running over from the house trying to help so he could grab the frightened horse.

"Seriously, stay back or I'll _let_ the horse brain you." Edward finally snapped, and it worked, for the last of the people who had still attempted to help. Which gave him room and time to actually focus on the horse.

"It's going to brain _him_." Roy muttered darkly, glaring at the skittish animal.

But step by step Edward managed to get up to the animal without it backing away more than a few times. And once he was within reach and had a hand resting on the animal's forehead at last he grabbed for the reins with his other hand. "Not your fault you know." He said, and patiently began to urge the horse forward with him, wanting to get her out of the commotion coming from Alice, her mother, and members of the staff.

"Don't you bring that thing over here." Roy admonished, backing away.

Edward stuck his tongue out at him, and offered the reins to Thomas. "Hold her for me. Roy, you can come with me, or help guard the horse."

"Guard the horse?!" Roy gaped at him.

Edward laughed, and turned his attention to Thomas who had taken the reins. "Don't let anyone take her, especially Alice. Anyone who wants the horse back can ask me for it. I don't care who asks, you work for me. Even if the bloody queen herself shows up and asks you for it, you send her to ask me."

Thomas's eyes glittered in amusement, but he was serious as he nodded. "Yes, sir." And he patted the calming mare's neck gently.

Roy gave the mare a wide berth much to Edward's undying amusement, and fell in step with the blond to go over to where the car of Fane Banciu was being ignored. "Do you have that gun on you?"

"Yes, why?" Edward asked, burying his feelings towards Roy asking about it. There were just similarities that… it made him feel in ways he didn't want to. It was getting easier, but when certain things were brought up, things like that? He realized he wasn't fully healed yet.

"Can I just shoot the bastard and be done with it? He _is_ one of your enemies." Roy asked, sounding much like a young child asking for a candy bar.

"Yes. But he's an enemy that won't actually ever try to kill me." Edward said as he came up to the car which was still running while on its side. "He's useful still to me. So for now, I would rather you not shoot him. Once his use has run out though, you can have at him."

"Gladly." Roy muttered, and watched as Edward grabbed onto the side fender of the car and hoisted himself up in one smooth movement so he landed on his knees on the back door. "Naturally he flipped it onto that side." He muttered.

"Need me to hold your legs?" Roy asked calmly. Like Edward, he was hardly worried about the current situation. They'd both been through nothing less than alchemic war. This was nothing.

Edward opened the passenger side door and grinned over at him. "Just make sure I don't fall in. No promises not to leave his demise to you in that case."

"Sure, put the pressure on." Roy joked, and reached up to take a hold of the flesh leg. He knew it would pull too much if he grabbed the automail one.

"You can handle it, Flame. I know you." Edward flashed him a last smile, and lowered himself headfirst into the car.

Roy rolled his eyes, and heard Edward talking inside the car, but it was muffled.

"Why are you here?" Fane grumbled blearily as he tried to focus himself. He felt as if he'd just been through a storm at sea.

"Because I'm just a bloody angel. And you're blocking the side of the road. Shame you have official plates or I'd have your car towed and you fined." Edward smirked down at the man while holding out a hand.

Fane did his best to glower, but he wasn't sure how well his facial muscles were working right now. "I hate you." He said, and fumbled with the seatbelt. "What the hell happened?"

"Well," Edward guessed, "I figure you were coming to yell at Alice, and she was off on some crazy female errand on her horse. You swerved to avoid her."

"I did no such thing, should have hit the stupid tramp." Fane managed with the belt, and turned off the car at last.

Edward smirked faintly. "I would have been angry with you for hitting the horse. Now take my hand already so I can pull you out. Having all the blood rush to my head like this isn't exactly comfortable you know."

"Is she out there?" Fane growled as he took hold of Edward's hand.

"Yes."

"Lift me out!" Fane demanded suddenly, his disorientation suddenly gone. "Let me at her!"

Edward tried not to laugh, but with only a bit of effort he lifted the man out as easily as if he weighed nothing at all. Fane was hardly the heaviest thing he'd ever lifted straight up at such a strange angle. He felt Roy's hands on him helping him down, and once Fane was out, Edward let him go and let Roy guide him back down to the ground.

Fane himself landed in the snow with an "oomph!"

"You okay?" Roy asked Edward as he took his hands off the blond, though not without regret.

"Of course, thanks. Better than guarding the horse?" Edward grinned at him cheekily as he brushed his mussed hair back out of his face.

"Anything is better than guarding a horse."

And then suddenly Fane was back on his feet, "you whore! You think you can get back at me like this?!" He shouted, interrupting the bickering going on between Alice who had been acting like a snarly woman with the vapors, and her mother.

Suddenly he was half-falling, half-running through the snow to get to her.

Edward hummed in interest. "This should be good."

Roy too was eyeing the impending scene in amusement. "Any chance of popcorn?"

"I'm not an alchemist anymore." Edward remarked regretfully. But he turned to several of the staff members just standing around. "You there, get this car right-side up." And when they didn't move, he snapped and pointed at the vehicle. "Now!"

Even Roy jumped at the barked order. "Sheesh. Little Fullmetal has a voice on him."

"Have to make up for being little." Edward punched Roy in the arm and walked away so the startled men who'd jumped into action could turn the car back over.

Roy followed him, though their eyes were still riveted on the scene unfolding.

"How are you still alive?! And walking?!" Alice shrieked as she saw who was running towards her, and she scrambled to her feet swatting away anyone who tried to help.

"Who do you think you are? Publishing something like that and then racing out on a horse like that! You stupid little girl!" Fane shouted back, and flailed against the staff members of the estate who had rushed to restrain him. "Let me go!"

Alice sneered at him elegantly. "Me?! You think it was _me_?! It was you! And that lizard bit you last night! You followed me because you were jealous I didn't need you solely anymore. And you should be dead or in the hospital now because of it!"

At that, both Edward and Roy stopped and grew suspicious. And suddenly Edward turned to look around. "Where the hell is Marks?"

"I dunno." Roy muttered. "Do you think he made it back before Fane took off?"

"Doesn't appear that he did." Edward turned back to keep watching, not having spotted the man anywhere. And he knew that if Marks were out there, he'd have seen a sign of it.

Fane was still straining against the people holding him back. "No I did _not_ hit my head!" He snarled at them, and turned his yelling back to Alice. "I followed you nowhere last night! I have more interesting things to do than follow your sorry ass."

"Get out of my sight!" She seethed, and suddenly seemed to remember what she'd been going to do before Fane had caused her horse to spook and toss her off. "Roy, where's Roy? I must have Roy! It'll all be okay if I have him… mommy and daddy won't send me away."

Edward immediately felt his blood turn cold. "She is trying to have me killed, and she was about to come onto my property to get you?"

Roy laid a hand on Edward's elbow firmly. "Easy. Not in front of all these people. Her parents seem to be having their own punishment in mind for what you did."

"Give him up! Only a fool would want you and anyone Elric over there thinks of as a friend is no fool!" Fane snarled. "Your obsession is ruining everyone you've involved!"

Alice gaped at him, "you're the one who came to _me_!"

"But you sought help elsewhere. So extreme in fact that you were willing to have Elric killed to get him out of the way because you think he's the only thing stopping Roy from wanting you. Here's another newsflash for you, the rumors of you being bad in bed are not the only things that would scare him off." Fane jerked away again from the people restraining him and pointed at Roy, who glared. "He gets to see you acting like this and you think he'd still want you?"

"Careful, Fane," Roy growled loud enough to be heard. "You're not exactly far down on the list of people I despise either."

But Alice seemed to forget all of that as she heard Roy's voice, and suddenly she'd wrenched away from her mother to dash towards him, practically falling through the snow with each stride. "Roy don't listen to him!"

Roy stepped back, and not trusting Edward to stop himself from snapping her neck, he grabbed the woman's wrists to swing her around and held her back forcibly away from him as far as he could. "You hired someone to kill Edward?"

"I only want to be with you, I'd do anything!" Alice practically sobbed. "Don't you see how much I love you?"

"No." Roy told her firmly with a cold tone he'd not used in a very long time. A long time indeed… "You do not love me, you have never loved me. You were infatuated with my dear half brother. Who is now dead. Some love you claim. And just so we're clear, trying to kill my best friend is not the way to get into my bed."

Alice spluttered up at him through tears. "You don't mean it!"

"I'm afraid he does." Edward interjected coldly. "How good a hold do you have on her, Roy?"

"She's not breaking free." Roy promised.

With a nod, Edward turned to Fane and the people still restraining him. "Let him go." And this time, his order was obeyed immediately. Even if he was not their employer. "I believe you've managed to prove your innocence to me. Congratulations. Now if I were you I'd scurry on back to the embassy and lay low."

Fane breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded. "I'll see you around I'm sure… thank you." And with what could be termed a grateful nod to Edward, he made his way back to his car, got in, and drove away. And those still gathered in the road watched him vanish.

"What are you doing? Let my daughter go. And the horse." Janet said as she walked over. "Alice has a plane to catch."

"Janet…" George warned, finally making his appearance. "Alice just confessed to hiring someone to try and kill Mister Elric."

"So?" Janet whirled on him angrily. "A convent won't extradite her."

"A convent won't save her if she runs away there." Edward promised. "We have plenty of witnesses. And I doubt you'll find many people besides yourself willing to testify that she's an angel."

Alice looked between them all. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Thomas spoke up from where he stood with the mare still. "Someone will be calling the police. Either one of your employees, or myself."

Janet threw him an ugly look. "Careful. You may work for Mister Elric, but you're just as common as he is."

George took that moment to grab his wife and shove her towards some of the groundskeepers. "Take my wife upstairs before she makes a further fool of herself. She's had a trying morning and has taken leave of her senses."

Roy watched in amusement as the woman was led away, and didn't release his grip as Alice started struggling again. "I can see the family resemblance. A bit unstable in the mind." He remarked, unmindful that said woman's husband and the father of the other woman was within earshot.

"I think I'll go make sure the police are called, sir." Thomas said dryly, and led the mare over. "Is the front door open?"

"Yes." Edward said, and took the offered reins. As he looked back it became apparent that the rest of Lord Laning's staff was heading back to their own work, leaving the four of them alone out there save for the horse and the last flash of Thomas vanishing beyond the gates of Edward's own home.

"What are you going to have done?" George finally asked with a weary sigh, ignoring his daughter's snarls for him to help her. "I know you will not be happy with just a trial we know she'll be acquitted of. That fall… unless you can get proof."

"I understand." Edward replied calmly. "But she's not staying in England. She'll be arrested, and sent to the convent as you wish."

"Edward-"

"Is it the one I jokingly recommended to you once before?" Edward cut across Roy.

George nodded.

"Then I'll be sure to telephone one of the Sisters there. She'll be more than happy to make Alice's stay a lot more unpleasant than rotting in a cell would be." And as if sensing Roy's curiosity as to why he knew someone at a convent, he added for purely the man's benefit. "She's another."

"Ah." That did explain it all, and suddenly he smiled. "Well Alice, it's been fun. But quite honestly, you're too much trouble."

They all ignored the fresh stream of curses coming from the woman.

George nodded once again, this time in acceptance. "Very well. This will not make Janet happy… but I'm not too happy with her either right now. I apologize for what she said to Mister Brown."

Edward offered a thin smile. "Better this way, than had her actions actually brought about my death."

Over the next half an hour Thomas returned, and was apologized to personally. The police did arrive shortly, where Alice, still being ignored for her words, was shoved into the back of one of the cars as statements were taken down. The press, having listened in to the police radio broadcasts, were already making appearances and clicking away for photographs and rolling video cameras.

As the police finally drove away, the press hot on their tail for more pictures; Edward, Roy, Thomas, and George were left standing in the middle of the once snowy road. Now the snow had been worn away by many shoes.

George was the first to speak, making a motion to the horse Edward held, and Roy was standing as far away from as he could get. "I should get back to start my own damage control. May I take the horse? Is she okay?"

Edward looked over at the mare, who stood with eyes half-lidded. "She'll be fine. I didn't want anyone taking her without strict instructions to get a blanket on the poor thing." And Edward passed over the reins. "She'll go into shock otherwise."

"I'll see that it's done." George assured him, and gave Edward a nod, as well as Thomas, before turning to Roy. "I owe you an apology for my daughter's behavior towards you… and for my own doubts about your character. I should be of the habit of knowing by now that Mister Elric only chooses exceptional people to surround himself with."

Roy was more than a little taken aback by the unexpected apology, but he smiled. "He is an exceptional man himself. Thank you."

George spared them one last smile and nod, before he turned to lead the horse away with him back to his now dysfunctional home.

"Well," Thomas breathed out and stuck his hands on his hips. "Never a dull moment with you, is it, sir."

"Never, it would defeat the purpose of me being so interesting." Edward replied blandly, but smiled.

"Don't let it go to your head." Roy admonished, and ruffled the blond's hair.

Edward swatted him away, fixing him with a glower which Roy returned with a smug smile. He turned back to Thomas though. "So what are you here for again?"

Thomas waved a hand through the air. "To talk about that newspaper article. But I think all my questions were answered just now."

Roy laughed at that, and began walking back to the gates of the chateau. "I think we need some brandy and a toast to never having a dull moment."

"Raiding my liquor cabinet again, are we?" Edward chastised, but followed after the man with a grin.

Thomas followed them all the way back to his car, smiling, before he opened the door. "I can't, have to drive to work and get some stuff done. But you two drink mine for me."

"You don't even have to ask." Roy called back to him with a grin, and before Edward could get out more than a goodbye, he'd yanked the blond inside the house. "Now then…" Roy suddenly frowned, thinking very hard on something. "Where the hell _is_ your liquor cabinet anyway? All I've found is the wine you point me to and those empty bottles from your binge drinking night."

Edward, who was laughing as he pulled off his coat and boots, still not believing Roy had yanked him inside like that, shot the man a grin. "Follow me." He said, locked the front door again, and grabbed Roy by the hand to drag him towards the kitchen while sporting a mischievous grin.


	37. Chapter 37

Okay, before we get to review replies, my ramblings, and the chapter itself, I have some things I need to mention about Circa, and the next story. Because yes, Circa will be ending soon. Not quite ten chapters left if I remember correctly. Roy is halfway through fulfilling the summary. And as always, I'm rather angsty because I have a story ending soon. Those of you who've been with me for all the ones before this know XD. So, that takes care of Circa... now for the next story.

Which means voting time! I realize I haven't done this since Believe in Me, but that was because the votes for Shifting and Circa were nearly tied. So now we get to have another vote. I'll be putting the listing on my profile. You may send in votes by PM or e-mail -please read all that nonsense I have about e-mails on my profile if you choose that route- and I'll restart my tally. And to be quite honest with everyone, I'd been debating whether or not to do a vote again. So this is my attempt to see whether or not I should stick with this method of letting everyone have a say, or just choose on my own. I have several chapters written for all of them, and several are actually nearly complete. I will not say which ones. Some of you already know... sell the information for pocky and money only.

Now for review replies:

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Koorii: Roy and Ed would do something like that. XD

moonstone: That does sound typical of me. I'm glad your work wasn't as interesting as the chapter though. At the point in time work becomes more interesting, I have failed. And my arm is feeling better gradually, I still am avoiding lifting heavy things with it.

GreedxEd: Hawkeye makes an appearance, but not as a Sister... you are correct in your other guess though.

Shinimegami: Fane can just be at Ed's beck and call for the rest of his life. I'm sure that wouldn't be abused.

vermilion: That would be a wonderful way to celebrate Alice leaving.

whitexspirit: No, not finished quite yet. Don't worry.

Tana: Yes... Godzilla is still on the loose. I'm trading two humans for a lizard and a human... and I'm delighted about it.

haganeno: Would you like to send Alice a going-away present?

copycat: It is a thought, and one that seems to be catching on XD. They do bicker like an old married couple for sure.

Cheru-chan: Aww, no panicking! But I can understand that, the same thing happened to one of my friend's horses about five years ago. I kept remembering it as I wrote that, kept me from hurting the horse. Not that I would anyway, I lurve horses. And as for Godzilla... you will see XD.

Moonlit: You just dashed poor Alice's hopes that you might give her a sympathy hug.

vrukalakos: Hint received... and that's actually next on my list as soon as I go get some sleep. But hopefully you'll keep reading this one too.

* * *

This chapter looks so short compared to the last, but I know it's only because the last had a lot going on in it. Well, a brief snapshot of Kedder and some Al/Marta fluff never went awry. More chaos is soon to reign, so enjoy the fluff.

Don't forget about the voting options. I'm putting them up as soon as I put this up, so if they're not up when you check, give it a few minutes. And they'll be located above my 'Thoughts' section.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Come, my pet. Yes. This way." Kedder encouraged the sleepy dragon who he was tugging along by a chain fastened to the heavy collar around the neck of the beast. "Little lady pay for cyanide for Kedder, you must bite the bad man and kill him. Yes, my pet must."

The komodo waddled forward, tasting the air and grumbling to itself about the cold that made him want to curl up and sleep.

Kedder knelt in the snow upon reaching a certain area in the backyard. They'd got in easily enough through the hole he'd dug before, cleared of snow, and pulled both he and his pet through. And now, with that damned free-minded llama nowhere in sight, he need not worry about interruptions. The beast may guard the nearest reaches of the property he'd trespassed onto, but not the furthest corners.

Now as he knelt in the thick snow, still tugging on his pet to keep it awake, he cleared the snow from a section of ground with his fee hand. "Kedder knows, yes Kedder does. About the warm way in for pet. And pet will find his way out." He whispered to himself gleefully, and found the hinge tucked underneath looser soil. And he gave a heave to open the heavy steel lined trapdoor. It creaked open, and bounced back against its hinges, but stayed open.

Peering down into the darkness, Kedder grinned, and began the task of urging his pet down into the hole. And once the dragon fell the distance into the hole, hissing madly from the indignity of being dumped seven feet down, he shut the door and covered it with snow again. "Pet stay warm under the ground, yes pet will. And it is warm in the house, it is, my pet. Pet will find Elric and kill him."

And he waddled back to the cypress and his car parked beyond it, intent on getting out before his presence was noticed.

**Toronto**

Alphonse had just finished his latest interview, and although he knew he should write up the new information right away, he did not start walking back to the hotel. Instead he slung his things over a shoulder and began walking the now familiar path to Marta's bakery.

He'd left the woman there to handle things alone a little over two hours ago with a promise that he'd be back and a refilling of her coffee cup. They hadn't gotten a single minutes worth of sleep last night. And not due to any exuberant activities. Not everything worth doing need be done with a lack of clothing. The time they'd spent purely talking with one another had been one of many sexless sex scenes in the time they'd spent together. Truthfully, there'd been not even one scene that included anything more than kissing.

But he was certainly not about to try rectifying that situation on zero sleep, enough coffee to water an army, and more scones than were probably healthy for his slim build.

So he plodded on, finally reaching the bakery in the dash of the between times of late morning and early afternoon. He held the door for a woman and her younger daughter, before entering himself.

The bakery was busy as always during this time. And he weaved his way expertly through those people still standing around, the tables, and any other hazards, so he could slip behind one of the display counters where he exchanged a smile with Marta.

"How was it?" She asked him cheerfully enough for all her lack of sleep. She put it up to the copious amounts of caffeine she'd consumed.

"It's supposed to be a secret. I can't give my opinion yet." Alphonse answered with a bit of a laugh, and walked back into the kitchen area so he could set his things down on the empty table back there where two coffee cups were still sitting. Their coffee cups, and current lifeline.

He reached out to take his in hand, and took a long drink of the now cold liquid. But it jolted him effectively. Setting his down he grabbed Marta's, and checking to be sure it was at the temperature she liked, walked it out to her.

Marta smiled at him gratefully, and took a drink in the space of time where one customer left the register and another approached it. "Thanks." She said, passing it back into his waiting hand. "I'll be closing up for lunch in twenty."

"I'll make sure the ovens are off then." He replied, and kissed her cheek before wandering back into the kitchen.

Marta smiled after him, one hand touching the cheek he'd kissed. "Deceptively charming man."

The woman who was next to be served, and who had seen the kiss, smiled. "Where'd you find a looker like that, Marta? He seems sweet too."

Marta shrugged, "he just walked in through the door one day." And she chuckled softly. "He is sweet though… a lot better a man than I've met before. Now what would you like?"

As she worked on serving the last customers, and then clearing them out so she could close up for the afternoon, her thoughts lingered on Al. Ever since he'd just walked in through the door bringing his charm with him, he hadn't left. And she found that she was glad of it. She'd forgotten how nice it was to have someone around, someone who cared about her. Someone who she knew she had begun to care for in return. And selfishly, she wished he never had to leave. Though she trusted him to keep his promise to keep coming back to see her.

It was hard.

Before she'd truly gotten to know Al she would have scolded herself for ever thinking this way about someone she knew eventually had to leave. But she _had_ gotten to know him, and she knew there were no mistakes in it.

"You okay?" Al asked as he walked over from straightening out a table and chairs. He'd noticed she'd been standing there at the door with her hand on the lock for quite some time.

Marta jumped a bit, and she shot him a smile over her shoulder as she hastily shoved her thoughts away for the moment. "Yeah. Just spacing out, tired and all." She reassured him as she locked the door and turned.

Alphonse couldn't help but agree there. "I should leave, so you can get some sleep." He finally said after a few silent moments in which they just stood there looking at each other.

"Actually…" Marta said quickly, and then scolded herself for jumping in so fast before continuing on slower. "Would you stay and have lunch with me first? I made you something for dessert afterwards while you were gone that I think you'll like."

A smile that looked as if it were being restrained from looking too happy slipped into place, and Al nodded. "I'd love to."

Marta smiled back, "thanks. I wanted to do something as a thank you for last night… and the coffee… and everything." It really had meant a lot to her, and she knew it the very instant she'd thought about doing something like this for Al. She'd never really cooked for anyone she'd gone out with before. So for her, this was a big step.

Alphonse was actually surprised by that, and he let it show. "Deceptively charming reporter that I am… I have no idea what to say."

Flashing him a grin, Marta walked over and brushed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Then don't say anything, just follow me." She slipped her hand down to grab his, and pulled him along after her.

Al linked their fingers together, and remained quiet. Instead following her after he'd grabbed up his things. They locked up the bakery, and crossed the short distance to her small home. Al set his things aside along with his coat, and waited for Marta to finish putting what she needed to put away, away.

"I can't believe I actually survived today on coffee and espresso shots." Marta grinned as she began to hunt around in the fridge.

Alphonse followed her into the kitchen where a table was placed up along one wall out of the way with three chairs. "Have you not stayed up all night in a long time?"

"A very long time." Marta agreed, and pulled out the sandwiches she'd made earlier. She had guessed, and correctly so, that they'd not be in the mood for anything heavy to eat. "I think the last time was the last time I got into a fight with my mother. It was about opening the bakery. She told me I was wasting my talents, I disagreed." And she surrendered the plate of sandwiches to Al as he came over to take them off her hands. "I spent all night awake, packing my bags, and left that morning. I haven't seen my parents since."

Placing the plate of sandwiches down, Al took a seat while Marta took the one directly next to him. He watched her carefully, trying to discern the emotions there. But Marta remained surprisingly blank. "Do you miss them at all?"

Marta plucked a sandwich from the tray, a small sigh slipping past her lips. "Sometimes. I mean, they're my parents. But they could never be happy for me, or support what I wanted to do. I made something of myself. I own my own business. I wouldn't have had it any other way." And she looked over at Alphonse then. "If I'd listened to my parents, I'd never have met you. If I had to choose… I'd choose being happy here with you now."

Al smiled at her, and reached over with his sandwich free hand to squeeze her own free hand. "Sometimes parents do things and say things for reasons we're not really meant to understand. But I'm glad too you know, to have met you. You're an amazing woman."

"Yes, I am." Marta agreed with a grin that caused Al to laugh, which only made her smile more. "An amazing woman who only would have allowed you to keep her up all night."

"Am I charming enough to try for two?" Al teased, and selected another sandwich from the plate.

"No, not quite that charming." She teased back, and reached over to stuff more of the sandwich than intended into his mouth just as he bit down. "That's a good look on you."

Al, knowing his cheeks were puffed out in a grand imitation of a chipmunk, shot her a mock glower and began to chew quickly. She might think it was a good look on him, but he was afraid he'd have to personally disagree. And once he finally managed to swallow without choking, he took a deep breath. "Sometimes you think you'll never finish chewing."

Marta only laughed.

They finished eating the sandwiches together, and Al cleared away the empty plate while Marta went to pull out their dessert which she'd kept warm for a reason in the oven. She switched the oven off, and transferred the two separate sweets from their ramekins and onto two plates. Grabbing forks she brought the desserts over to the table where Al had already sat back down.

"It smells wonderful." Alphonse told her honestly as she set one down in front of him, and the other before herself as she sat. "What is it?"

"Hot." Marta warned with a smile.

Picking up the fork, Al gave her a reproachful look. "Well yes, but _what_ is it?"

"Hot chocolate fondant." Marta saw the clueless look given to her, and she pointedly cut down from the center of the cake looking creation out to one side. The action causing the hot chocolate sauce inside to begin slowly seeping out and moistening the rest of the cake-ish dessert.

Alphonse gave it an impressed look, and cut into his. The same thing happened. "How did you get it to do that?" He asked and heaped some of the cake onto his fork after dragging it around to coat it in the chocolate sauce.

"All about cooking time and temperature and that fact that you were right. I am an amazing woman." Marta grinned at him, and watched avidly as he took the first bite.

Al couldn't help but whole-heartedly agree as he tasted the first bite. Warm chocolate sauce, rich chocolate cake flavor, it didn't get much better. And he savored it the entire way down before turning to Marta who was watching him, waiting. "It's wonderful, Marta."

Marta beamed with happiness. "Thanks." And she quickly got up only to sit back down a minute later with glasses of milk for them both. Only then did she begin to enjoy her own dessert.

"You made it for me?" Al recalled after sipping on his milk.

She nodded, "I thought you would like it. Turns out I was correct again." And she was very pleased with herself for it. She'd wanted to make something that Al would enjoy as much as he was clearly enjoying this.

"I do, very much." Al smiled at her affectionately. "All your cooking is delicious. Thank you for asking me to stay for lunch."

Marta smiled at him happily. "You're welcome."

They ate the rest of their dessert in companionable silence, and mutual exhaustion, and drank their milk. Once it all had been finished, Alphonse scooted as directed out of the kitchen so that Marta could clean up. He figured she wanted to do so before she went to bed. And as soon as he left, he predicted she'd be heading there. So the safest way for her to be sure that things got done when they needed to, was for Al to continue to hang around.

Wandering back to the room they'd spent most of earlier this morning in, he sat down only for a moment before his eyes landed on something. And he stood up again to walk across the room and pick up the guitar tucked into the shadows of one corner. As he walked back to the couch he examined the instrument, finding it whole and looking to be properly stringed. So he sat down with it, fingers automatically finding their place.

Marta hadn't even heard the music floating through the air until she found Al in the living room. He was playing so softly it was as if he was barely touching the strings. And she smiled as she walked around to sit next to him. "It's beautiful, where'd you learn to play it?"

Alphonse stopped with a far-off smile. "Gypsies. There wasn't much to do but sing and play music on the drives." He explained in a fond tone. He had good memories of those times. And he offered the guitar to her.

Marta immediately shook her head with a smile. "I can't play."

"You can't play it and you have it?" Alphonse asked her in amused confusion. "Why?"

"There's a reason it was buried there in the corner." Marta remarked wryly, and hugged her knees to her. "I bought it so I could learn, and then I just kind of gave up. The music is pretty… but my hands are for making cookies, not music. I couldn't ever seem to get it right."

Alphonse settled the guitar back on his leg with a smile. "My hands weren't originally meant for music or writing newspaper articles. Granted I can no longer be what I used to be, and you are still able to bake. But the concept is still the same. It's just something different." He told her to the soft background of the music.

"What were you originally?" Marta asked curiously as she watched and listened. "I can't imagine you giving up something, which I get the feeling from the way you speak of it, that you loved. You can no longer be it… you sound… sad."

"It was one of many choices I've had to make in my life." Alphonse replied. "And like all choices worth making, it was not an easy one, because no matter my decision, I'd still lose something. The easiest thing to liken it to is that I was a something like a chemist. A very hands-on one. You're right, it is difficult for me to give up something I love. But I chose. And now I am here."

Marta slowly nodded, and not for the first time did she have the suspicion that there was a lot more to this man than years of knowing him could reveal. But the things she didn't yet know, she didn't feel as if they were anything of an evil nature. So she didn't pry. "So I should try to learn again, is what you're saying?"

Al chuckled softly, and smiled at her. "This is one of the easy choices to make in life. If you do try to learn again, what are you losing?"

She thought about that, and came up with absolutely nothing. Nothing but a few more minutes out of her day where she'd be doing something else. And really, what sort of an inconvenience was that? "Not a thing." She admitted.

"Not a thing." Al agreed, and set the guitar down. "I should go. We both need sleep. And thank you again for lunch, it was delicious."

Marta nodded. As much as she'd love to stay like this with Al, even just talking, she knew they needed sleep. And afterwards, Al would be back eventually. Bringing with him that aura of his that put her at ease, made her feel that she could tell him anything. She always enjoyed it when Al came back. "When do you think you'll be by again?"

Alphonse quickly mulled over his schedule for the remaining rest of the week. Something that shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but he was tired. And Marta seemed not to notice due to her own fatigue. "Two days. Up until then I'm booked with things to do for work."

"Then I'll see you in two days." Marta said firmly between a yawn.

"Yes." Al agreed, and cupping one of her cheeks he leaned over to kiss the other. "Get some sleep." He said softly before he moved over to claim her lips in a lingering kiss. They were both too tired to think of making it more passionate, and they separated when the need for air began to nag at them. Damn air.

"Bye, Al." Marta smiled at him, and leaned in to catch his lips in a quick kiss before pulling away. "Don't fall asleep on the walk to the fancy hotel."

Alphonse chuckled as he stood up, feeling his body protest movement. "I'll do my best not to. But if you read about a tourist causing problems on the sidewalk, you'll know what happened to me."

"And I'll bail you out of jail… maybe." She added with a teasing smile as she stood as well.

"Maybe?" He huffed in a disgruntled way, but smiled at her. "Goodbye, Marta."

It took a few more kisses before Al was out the door, Marta smiling as she watched him walk away. But as he turned the corner, heading for the hotel, she locked herself inside and made her way upstairs in search of her own sleep.

Meanwhile Alphonse continued to walk back to the hotel. As he did so, making mental notes of what he needed to do after he woke up. Including write up his interview from today and form it into something interesting, and call his brother. He hadn't heard from Edward or Roy in a while, and he missed the two of them. "Maybe I'll call them first." He muttered under his breath, thinking that talking to his brother would be more interesting than this damn article. "After sleep." Yes… definitely after sleep. He could only hope that for now everything was going okay.


	38. Chapter 38

haganeno: I'm glad you think Al and Marta are cute. That makes me happy to know I'm not making it sound impossible.

Bar-Ohki: No, not really a good thing. I doubt it'll make a good pet for him.

vrukalakos: It will be revealed nearer the end who Alice ended up with, never fear.

moonstone: You think he should keep her? XD. I'm sure he'd agree... and Marta might not fight the idea too much.

GiftBasket: Yes, but it was easier to let them meet than if Marta had been a bounty hunter.

copycat: What would you rather Al do? XD

Koorii: I love them too, but I love Ed and I dumped him off a cliff so ya know XD. You can reincarnate him and have him if you wish.

Mary: Yeah, Al hasn't seen Roy again yet. Eventually it will be time for a reunion.

GreedxEd: Rose. And Al will get sleep if Scar shows up to hold him through the nightmares XD

Isabelle: Don't worry about review lengths, I enjoy the long ones. And Riza's double is a doctor, it was only mentioned briefly before.

Cheru-chan: Look! The dragon is going into the tunnel.... running down the tunnel... what will it find on the other side? Dun dun dun! ....-flees from you-

anmb: I've been wondering where you were, I'm glad you're okay and alive. Though I hope the job searching turns better soon. And I agree with the lack of sleep and tolerating people thing. I can't even tolerate my family with a lack of sleep XD.

Shinimegami: Roy? Why would you be worried about Roy? ....-whistles innocently-

* * *

And here we are... that chapter that begins one of my favorite parts of this story.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Thirty Eight

In the days following Alice being shipped off to Montenegro to spend an undetermined amount of time, and Fane returning to the consul where Marks was eventually called off, relatively nothing out of the ordinary happened. Aside from the fact that Marks, instead of returning to run his illegal gambling operation, had gone to wait for Collins to wake up at the hospital. Though he'd never have admitted to it, and shot dead anyone who made mention.

Yet Edward did not know, and as cruel as it may sound to cut ties with them again, especially with one in the hospital from a wound gathered in the task he'd set forth, he had to cut ties. And he knew they'd both understand. There may come a time where he'd need them again, and they'd be there. But for everyone's sake, it was best to pretend they didn't know each other existed any longer. He'd wired their payments to their accounts from an untraceable account of his in Switzerland, and that was that.

And now Roy was there alone at the chateau while Edward tended to work matters up in his office. Thomas was up there as well, which made it impossible to really spend the time he wanted to spend with Edward. So he was left to his own devices. And his boredom was short lived as he walked through the ballroom towards the terrace. He hadn't been out to try and see his namesake devil since the last time he and Edward had been outside.

He didn't care that Edward might spot him should he happen to walk out into the library. He just wanted to see Flame.

Opening the door out to the terrace quietly, he stepped outside into the chill and closed it behind him. Shivering a bit, he wrapped his jacket tighter around him and looked around. He could see some of the horses wandering around off in the distance, a few were close enough that he could recognize him. And he gave them a wary look, they were far too big. He didn't see Nitro anywhere though, which rather puzzled him. None of them had seen Nitro in nearly four days. But Edward wasn't worried, so he wouldn't worry either. According to Edward the llama sometimes stayed with the horses that were further out beyond their line of sight.

Roy wondered if Edward shouldn't get a guard dog anyway, but there hadn't been any attempts of people trying to gain entry to the property without being let in. So he didn't bother with it too much.

He was not left alone with his thoughts for long, as as soon as he stepped down from the terrace and into the snow a delighted sounding squeal sounded from across the snowy lawn. He turned to try and spot her, and couldn't help his happy grin as the filly raced over to him as fast as she could manage.

"You terror." Roy grinned, and held out both hands as she neared him. "Don't knock me over, don't do it." And when she skidded to a stop in front of him he breathed a sigh of relief. "I've missed you, just don't tell Edward." He told her firmly but affectionately, and began to pet her, smiling as she leaned into his touch.

As he pet her he noticed a bit unhappily that his little duckling of a horse was starting to grow. Didn't she know that he was scared of big animals? "And yet here you are, growing." Roy sighed, and scratched her left ear. A place he knew by now that she loved having scratched. "I don't want to be scared of you though. You wouldn't understand. You're too attached to me."

He was beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe, his fear might take exception. Because he truly was beginning to love this animal. He'd seen her be born, and much like a father with his child, he was attached.

"We'll see." Roy decided, and also decided that in the future he'd ask Edward for books on how to train Flame to behave. Maybe if she was less untamed as she was now, he'd feel more comfortable around her when she was grown.

He'd just have to ignore that smug knowing look of Edward's for a while. Either that or kiss it off his face, which sounded just as agreeable an idea.

He was walking around with Flame, trying to impress upon her that he wanted her at his side, when out of nowhere Nitro bolted around the corner of the house and made straight for Roy. "Nitro?" Roy frowned, and nervously held his ground. Nothing in the llama's manner said he was going to attack, but this _was_ Nitro.

Flame shifted uncomfortably at his side, and drew closer to press up against him, clearly unnerved by something in the llama's manner.

Nitro skidded to a halt just in front of Roy, only to snake his head out in a lightning fast strike and seize Roy's coat hem in his teeth. Only to begin pulling and making strange high-pitched sounds.

Roy had no idea what was going on with the llama, or what the noise was supposed to mean coming out of the llama's mouth. But he realized soon that Flame was clearly unsettled, and no matter how much he tugged he couldn't get the jacket free. "Nitro, easy!" He chastised, and laid one hand on Flame soothingly.

Nitro tugged harder, finally forcing Roy forward a few unbalanced steps.

"Okay, okay…" Roy said, and stepped forward some more as Nitro pulled. "What's gotten into you?"

At the point the human become more willing, Nitro released him, and bounded a few more steps away before turning and staring at Roy pointedly.

Roy frowned, but patted Flame's neck and walked after the llama. "Come on then. I've never seen him act like this. I'd get Ed, but…" one look at Nitro said that the llama would intercept him and probably drag him off before he could.

So Roy and Flame followed the llama back around the side of the house. And as soon as they'd rounded the corner Nitro bounded over to the side of the house and began to make those strange noises again while using both front cloven hooves to paw at the snow banked up against the side. It was clear to Roy how long Nitro had been at this, he'd nearly cleared a foot of snow that had built up. And from the scratches on the stone, Nitro hadn't been just digging at the powder.

"What the hell are you doing?" Roy wondered aloud, and walked forward to still the llama. The animal stopped, but not without looking agitated about it. But Roy ignored that, and instead picked up one of Nitro's front feet to see that the llama had clearly worn down a small bit of his hooves. It wasn't enough to be painful, but it was there. Setting the hoof down, he turned to the llama. "No more of that. You'll hurt yourself."

Nitro squealed, and tried to lunge at the wall again.

Roy shoved him aside, and the llama staggered to regain his balance. "No, Nitro. You're not a demolition expert through self-harm, you're a-" and then Roy stopped. And he took a good look at Nitro, then the wall and ground, and then back to the agitated animal. "A guard llama."

Suddenly, Roy didn't see the way Nitro had been acting as strange. Blame his lack of quick comprehension on an unfamiliarity with guard llamas, but now he understood. "Watch the herd, and stop that. You did your job." Roy told the llama, and turned to run back towards the terrace.

Nitro immediately bolted after Flame who had scrambled to follow the human. The human needed to take care of this and without having to worry about babies, so he continuously blocked her path. Herding her back towards her mother despite her unhappiness about it.

Upstairs in his office Edward was reading over a file of paperwork while listening to Thomas.

"I stopped receiving phone calls from Mister Banciu too. You wouldn't happen to be behind that, would you?" Thomas queried as he paced slowly around the office in a circle in front of Edward's desk.

Edward chuckled softly. "He probably still realizes that he owes me for pulling him out of that car."

Thomas rolled his eyes, "we both know something like that would have never stopped him. What really happened?"

"The darker side of politics." Edward replied blandly. "Remember how I told you I was going to do things I'd not allowed myself to do in twenty years?"

Thomas nodded. He did recall. It had been when he'd learned of the attempt on his boss's life. In that moment, he'd come to suspect that there was a side of his boss that he never wanted to encounter. Not a sinister side… but a deadly side. Deadly for the right reasons, and unavoidable when unleashed. And not to say that Edward was a Jekyll and Hyde type of person, but there was clearly a side beyond that of the temper exploding side that was never fun to be around. He'd always known Edward was not a man to be trifled with, but until recently he hadn't guessed the extent.

"Well," Edward continued, his eyes going back to the words on the paperwork he was supposed to be reading, "I gave Fane a choice. Either give me a solid lead on who tried to kill me within a certain timeframe, or I'd use the blackmail information I have on him to ruin him. As well as pin the attempted murder on him as well. Since he got Alice to admit it aloud in front of me and all those other people, he met his part of the bargain for his continued survival here. So far. We'll see if he keeps out of trouble."

Thomas had stopped his pacing, and was now staring at his boss in something much like awe. "You have no fear at all, do you." He said at last. "I mean, I always knew you had no fear of anything. But you really _don't_, do you."

Edward smiled wryly as he picked up his pen. "I haven't been afraid of something in nearly thirty years. The last time I was afraid I was nearly killed by some psychopath. An experience like that rather hardens ones mind against feeling fear."

"Why are people always trying to kill you?" Thomas muttered, more rhetorically than anything.

With a soft chuckle, Edward signed his name to the papers he'd just finished reading. "When you go out on your own Thomas as a politician, if you start receiving death threats, you know you're doing the job correctly. Ever since I was twelve I've had people trying to kill me off and on throughout the years. Lets me know I'm doing the thing right."

"I'll remember that." Thomas shook his head. "How many death threats do you think Charles gets?"

"One a week." Edward grinned. "From me."

Thomas burst out laughing at that. "Seriously now."

"Three to four a week. Mine are not included in that number." Edward corrected and moved on to the next project awaiting him.

"Does he know you send him one?"

"Of course, it's why he pays me so well." Edward joked, "has to pay me to keep me from following through."

Thomas rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a soft laugh. Only his boss could go from deadly serious one minute to cracking jokes the next. And do it so easily.

It was then that Roy appeared in the doorway, not having made a single sound on his dash through the house. He ignored Thomas's startled jump, instead meeting Edward's curious eyes. "We have a problem."

"Problem?" Edward repeated with a frown, and laid his pen down. "What sort of a problem?"

Roy motioned towards the library windows beyond him to impress his point. "I went outside to see Flame-not a word-" he added quickly as he caught the amused gleam in Edward's eyes, "and Nitro showed up. He's been trying to dig a hole through the ground and wall trying to get into the house I think."

Any remnants of the amusement Edward had felt at Roy's mention of the filly vanished from his mind. "Which side of the house?" He asked as he stood up.

Roy pointed.

"Shit." Edward muttered, and walked around his desk. "The majority of the pipes are on that side of the house. He'd be able to hear it clearly if there were sounds he didn't recognize coming from inside the house somewhere."

"What's going on?" Thomas frowned, "are you saying that someone snuck into the house?"

"Or something." Roy muttered, exchanging a dark look with Edward.

"You're not worried about a reporter, are you." Thomas realized as he watched them.

Edward shook his head. "Hardly." And he strode out of the office with Roy at his side and followed closely by Thomas. "Stay up here Thomas, I at least know it's clear up here."

Thomas nodded, though he watched the pair as they left, closing the doors behind them, in worry. "I wonder what the chances are that this has something to do with whoever Alice hired to try and kill you." He said to himself, and sat down on one of the couches to wait.

Meanwhile Edward and Roy were taking the stairs two by two down to the bottom level at a rather fast pace.

"If whatever it is was on the second level he'd not have been digging at the ground." Edward said in explanation.

Roy followed him across the foyer, both of their strides fast and determined. "Do you think it's that komodo thing that bit Collins?"

Edward had stopped in front of the coat closet, and opened the door to rummage through his usual jacket and pull out the pistol. "I'm not sure." He said honestly. "Nitro never would have let Kedder anywhere near the house. If Kedder had been anywhere near here with such a thing to dump it through the back door, you'd probably not have found Nitro alive. He would be helpless against one of those things."

Roy watched as Edward checked the chamber, and then snapped it closed again. "And will that gun of yours be able to stop one?"

Edward met his eyes, and smiled grimly. "It'd be better if I had a rifle. But I know where to shoot to bring one down. It's a narrow target, but I can manage. Just stay close."

Roy nodded. Staying close to the person with the gun sounded like a good idea.

"And by the way," Edward smirked, "just because it's large… don't run up to the library screaming like a little girl to Thomas."

"Hey!" Roy promptly whacked the impudent blond who laughed.

"Come on." Edward said, and grabbed Roy's arm to drag him along so they could begin their hunt from the side of the house nearest the garage. One finger had already released the safety on the gun, and another was resting on the trigger as he held the weapon at his side.

Room by room they checked, until they both deemed that wing of the house void of any unwanted life forms. They didn't check the ballroom, but did close the doors to it. After all, Roy had been through there twice this morning and a quick peek in showed nothing out of place in the empty room.

Which left the dining room and the kitchen.

Edward chose the dining room first, and swung the door open. He flipped on the light switch and the chandeliers blazed to life.

"I came in here once…" Roy said as they began to make a circle of the room together, checking under the table and chairs as they went.

"Oh?" Edward smiled. He had thought that Roy might let his curiosity get the better of him about this room.

Roy hummed affirmatively. "I was thinking that we should use it at least once. When Al's back… maybe invite Marta over as well."

"I'd like that." Edward grinned over at him suddenly. "I also like the idea of making use of the big table in another way… but not right now."

Roy chuckled, but grinned back. "I like that idea too. Shame we're hunting a beastie loose in your house and Thomas is upstairs."

"But doesn't the sense of danger and the risk of getting caught make it all the better?" Edward laughed. "Thomas won't leave the library anyway until I go get him."

"Famous last words." Roy teased.

Edward grinned, and checked the fireplace before motioning with his gun towards the door leading to the kitchen. "Only one place le-" and suddenly he frowned, before a feeling not unlike dread came over him. "Left."

"What's wrong?" Roy asked as he followed after Edward who had seized one of the chairs and was now carrying it over to the door leading to the kitchen.

"Do you remember what I told you about the underground tunnel leading from the kitchen out to the far end of the property? To use as a possible escape out of here in case my enemies ever went berserk?" Edward asked as he propped the chair against the door handle so it couldn't go down.

"Yes." Roy said, frowning slightly. "Wait, you think that whatever it is got in through that tunnel?"

Edward faced him grimly, and nodded. "It'd be warm down under the ground. A reptile wouldn't be affected, and if it was sent to hunt me, it would have followed the tunnel up to the house."

"But how would this Kedder guy have known about the tunnel?" Roy asked, now following Edward to the door that led out into the hallway.

"Because Raymond knew about it." Edward replied grimly, and with a trace of anger in his voice.

At that revelation, Roy froze for a full second, before he was racing after Edward again. "But why would Raymond tell Kedder if Kedder is one of your enemies?"

"Because Raymond was my enemy too!" Edward said, rounding on Roy now as his eyes flashed. "He betrayed me, only now I get to learn how much he actually did. Kedder wasn't always like he is now. He used to be a good person and Raymond trusted him. It doesn't surprise me that this happened. Not now."

Roy stood there silently through the wave of anger Edward felt, and knew that though it was unintentional, some of it was directed at him. Because of who he still reminded Edward of, even subconsciously. And not for the first time, did he feel the pull to try and tell Edward the truth about Raymond. "Then let's take care of it. And hope that this time it's finally over." He said at last.

Edward nodded, and whirled back around to open the door and walk out into the hallway after being sure it was clear. Roy caught the light switch as he followed Edward out and shut the door.

Edward entered the kitchen first, the gun now held in front of him as he looked for his prey. He realized guiltily that he'd been rather harsh with Roy, and without cause. Yet Roy just took it, knowing the reason for his momentary anger. And he knew he needed to apologize. "I'm sorry, Roy." He said quietly as he walked further cautiously.

Roy touched Edward's shoulder gently. "I understand… I love you, Edward."

Edward smiled to himself, but his smile still held some of his guilt. As he rounded the corner around the island where the tile that hid the entrance to the tunnel was, his smile turned grim. "Look, I was right."

And he was right. The tile was moved off to one side, and there was the faint trace of dirt on the floor leading around the other side of the island. Whatever had made it inside was definitely inside and on the move.

Edward slid the tile back into place.

Roy followed him as Edward turned and went back around the island to approach whatever it was from the front.

"Where is it?" Roy asked as they saw nothing was there. And against Edward's reach to grab him, he made a full circuit around the kitchen and saw nothing. "It's not here, Edward."

Edward suddenly looked back towards the exit to the hallway. "It must have gone down the hallway when we were in the dining room."

"Ed!" Roy called after the blond who suddenly ran out into the hall, and ran after him. What was the little idiot doing now? If either of them knew anything, it wasn't to go running into a dangerous situation. They weren't even sure yet of what it was they were hunting.

Edward skidded to a halt as he entered the foyer, and leveled his gun at the large reptile that was in the middle of it. The scaled head turned with a hiss, and the claws clicked on the floor as it began to turn. "That," Edward said as Roy came to a stop beside him, "is a komodo dragon."

Roy instantly didn't like the beast one bit. Foremost because it was clearly a monstrous size. Any beauty the reptile had was lost on him as he saw the size personally of the creature, and saw the teeth and claws it came equipped with. "And your little gun is going to stop it from killing us?"

"Yep." Edward said, and took aim. The komodo could smell them, and he was sure that it was only because he smelled a lot like Roy as well for a reason the beast didn't need to know, that kept it confused as to where to attack.

But the confusion was suddenly gone, and the large reptile lunged forward at a run. Which for a beast of its build, was quite fast.

"Ed…"

Edward checked his aim, and pulled the trigger. Right before he pushed Roy aside so they avoided the komodo as it ploughed bloody and screaming right past where they'd just been standing.

"You shot its eye out?" Roy accused him with a pointed glower.

"Oh don't take offense." Edward chastised his lover affectionately despite the situation. "You look good with one eye."

Roy crossed his arms over his chest.

Edward took aim again as the dragon turned. "Had to clear a path to the brain." And once he was in range, he fired again.

This time, the komodo careened off course, fell over its own legs, and landed in a bleeding heap on the wood floor of the foyer. It didn't move again.

"You could give Hawkeye a run for her money with a gun if you can hit a small eye like that more than once." Roy remarked as Edward lowered the gun.

Edward smiled faintly. "Not quite. She'd have killed it on the first shot through the eye."

Roy chuckled, and nodded. "Probably so." And received a teasing glower from the blond.

And Edward couldn't help but think to himself that Raymond would have managed it on the first shot as well. Shaking the thought away, he walked forward towards the dead reptile stretched out in its massive way across the floor. "Can you go get Thomas? We'll need his help to get this thing out of here."

Roy nodded, and turned to hurry up the stairs towards the library. They definitely would need Thomas, because even in death, he wouldn't be eagerly going towards that huge lizard. Reaching the landing he strode across it to open one of the doors, and saw Thomas pacing the floor looking worried. "Hey."

Thomas immediately turned and hurried over towards the man. "Is everything okay? The gunfire…"

"Just Edward playing reptile assassin." Roy informed him with a bit of a smile. "He tends to get a bit loud when he's killing something."

"I heard that!" Edward's voice echoed up to them.

Roy laughed, and Thomas merely looked concerned. "But he's okay?"

"Yeah." Roy nodded and swung the door open. "We'll need some help though getting the thing outside. It's fairly large."

Thomas nodded, and immediately hurried to and down the stairs so he could go see for himself what had happened and lend a hand now that the potential danger was over.

Roy turned as well and began to make his way down the stairs, albeit a bit slower as he was watching with a shudder as Edward prodded at the large reptile. He really didn't like big animals. It would be a one time thing if he were to ever be able to tolerate a big animal without fear. And currently the only such animal capable of it was probably worrying herself sick over his sudden disappearance.

"Fuck," Thomas said aloud as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Who the hell sent that thing in here?"

"Kedder." Edward replied darkly, and straightened while slipping the safety back on the gun and tucking it into the waistline of his pants for the moment. "Alice hired Kedder to kill me, and this is the method he chose."

"What the hell kind of science is that man practicing now…" Thomas whispered, feeling a bit of a chill at the very ideas entering his mind.

Edward grunted unintelligibly in his chest, and shook his head. "Nothing as bad as what I know he could be capable of."

"What do you plan to do?" Thomas turned to him now. And he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Nothing I've not done before." Edward said, almost reluctantly. He had hoped to never see Kedder again, but now he had no choice. Both Kedder and Alice had forced his hand in this matter. Now he needed to play it.

Roy grimly stopped where he was on the stairs. Yes, he knew what Edward would do. And he only hoped that the blond would be careful. A lair of such creatures was never the best place to go seeking out retribution. Shaking his head, he made to start down again as he raised a hand to muffle the coughs brought on by the cold. His body still was not as it used to be, and the cold air didn't sit well with him.

It was what caught his eye afterwards as he drew his hand away that made him realize that he'd been out of the cold for a while now. And looking quickly towards Edward, he began to hurry down the stairs as an icy feeling gripped him.

He never remembered reaching the bottom.

"ROY!"


	39. Chapter 39

Amazing how many lurkers show up when I toss Roy down a few stairs. I wish you all came out more often, but hey, I'll take one chapter out of 39.

Lizche: Cliffhangers are annoying, I agree. But oh so much fun!

amlf: Do you need CPR there?

moonstone: And then Ed could dip him and recite words of Shakespeare before kissing him back to life in front of a fainting Thomas? XD

Bar-Ohki: Very horrible timing, I agree.

PaperBagGhost: Ouch, is your head okay after pulling out that hair?

copycat: I must be trouble then... I seem to love causing it for them.

anmb: Food! You remember the way to my heart -gobbles-

Koorii: My sentiments exactly.

GiftBasket: Thank you, I love it when I pull a good cliffhanger off.

Ghost of the Crescent Moon: I'm glad you love it. It's nice to hear how much you look forward to it, even if you don't always review.

Elle: That's exactly right. It's a good motto. You're very welcome here being a romantic and all, I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic myself.

Cheru-chan: Now, now, easy -hugs- You love me deep down remember. But yes, I am evil, and I know it XD.

Sailor Silver Rose: Okay, I won't hurt him _too_ bad XD.

GreedxEd: You're hugging Raymond and Roy is the one who I knocked down the stairs? Why am I not surprised.

vrukalakos: Alice shall definitely be having fun soon.

Akira: Yay, food! Thank you. Yes, I am sad it's ending as well... I'll be an angsty mess for days afterwards. Bring popcorn to watch.

haganeno: They were! And you were one of the few who picked up on them.

Mary: Nitro officially loves you.

Tana: Roy wants a hug...

Infinity: Thank you. And I hope this is a suitable lead-in to what's about to happen.

Koneko: There you are! I've missed you -huggles and pets and puts bows in your hair- ...just don't hurt me... I swear I'm not trying to give you a heart attack! And Al really is a charmer. Little devil that he is.

* * *

Slightly shorter chapter than the last, but no complaining. I have Roy's fate in my hands here, literally XD. This chapter was meant for the starting the engines so I can push down the accelerator. Have to line up all the players. -evil laugh- ...and then where oh where has Kedder gone -singsongs-

...no, I am not extremely tired and therefore loopy. Whatever gave you that idea?

* * *

Chapter Thirty Nine

Edward wasn't sure he'd run so fast in his life. But before he really even registered that he'd started running, he was falling to his knees beside Roy who had collapsed into a heap on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. He turned the man over, murmurs of "Roy" and "please" and other panicked whisperings leaking out of him as he felt for a pulse.

Thomas too ran over, completely forgetting about the dead komodo dragon taking up space only yards away. "What happened? Do you think one of its teeth grazed him and he didn't realize?" He asked, also kneeling down by the unconscious man.

"No." Edward said, this time to Thomas instead of Roy, and only felt a small measure of relief when he found a pulse. But it was not the strong one he had come to associate with the man in all the times they'd lain together. Something was clearly wrong. "He was never in any sort of range."

"He seemed fine when he came to get me." Thomas recalled, his brow furrowed in worry. "Hospital?"

"No." Edward whispered in a shaking voice. "Hospitals are no good."

"But he needs a doctor."

"I know!" Edward snapped, as his heart raced and his thoughts clashed around completely unorganized in his panic. Roy didn't just collapse. He just didn't! The man even as he was now being underweight was not someone who'd just loose consciousness like this. As his eyes frantically raked over Roy, trying to find any clue as to what was wrong, when he did notice the thin smear of blood across Roy's palm, he felt as if the blood in his veins had turned to ice water. "No… it can't do this to me!"

"What? What can't?" Thomas felt it reasonable to say that at this point he was afeard for his boss, and Roy. Something about Roy had made the tanned man turn absolutely white. "What's going on?"

"Damn Gate!" Edward swore under his breath, and so fast that there was no way Thomas could have understood. "Haven't I been through enough?!"

"Edward!" Thomas tried to get the blond's attention.

Edward took a shuddering deep breath, and met Thomas's eyes as his own golden ones hardened with repressed emotion as he fought for the iron control he knew he needed right now. When all he wanted to do was loose it crying and panicking like some _normal_ person. He had to hold it together right now. He was not allowed to be normal. Never had been. "No doctors." Edward said, his voice tight and words clipped as he reined his emotions in. "At least, not those ones. Help me."

Thomas nodded, quickly. "Tell me what to do."

"Go upstairs to my office, get my calendar and flip to the phone numbers section. I need to make a call. Immediately." Edward said, and as Thomas stood and ran up the stairs to do as he'd been told, he looked up towards Roy's ashen white face. "It sent you here to me… don't let it take you back. Please, Roy."

Gathering Roy up into his arms didn't take much. The man still barely weighed anything. And Edward carried the man quickly but carefully up the stairs and into one of the spare bedrooms.

He wanted nothing more than to put Roy in their room. But he knew that their relationship was a secret, and had to remain as such. So reluctantly he entered the room Roy had used upon first coming here, and laid the man down onto the bed.

"Roy…" Edward whispered, his voice cracking brokenly from his control. His hands were still on the bedspread from setting Roy down, his elbows bent as he leaned over the man with tightly clenched eyes. His body shook once with a fought back sob, his eyes burning. He wanted nothing more than to kiss whatever it was better and plead for Roy to open his eyes again. But he couldn't… not yet.

With a strangled sort of noise, Edward turned away and dashed for the door, rubbing at his eyes with one hand to try and stem the sting of the tears wanting to fall. He had to hold it together, damn it! But the confliction was tearing him up almost as much as the sight of Roy falling did as it replayed on some sinister loop in his mind. He wanted to do nothing but be human and break down. Yet he couldn't right now. And that confliction hurt in places he actually didn't know could feel pain.

Thomas strode forward as soon as Edward entered the hallway, he hadn't known which room was Roy's. He held the black calendar out as soon as they met in the middle. "What next?"

Edward turned to him, and shook his head lifelessly. "I can't deal with "what next's" right now." He said and walked past him. "Find a way to get rid of the dragon. Or go back to work. Either way tell no one about what happened here and then I need you to leave me alone. I'm liable to lash out if you stay, and you won't like it one bit."

"Yes, sir." Thomas nodded, and though his worry for Roy made him want to stay. He knew it would be for the best if he left. His boss was clearly very upset right now, and if Edward wanted him out from underfoot he'd oblige. He had known ever since the incident with Raymond years ago that even if Edward was emotionally a mess, it was best and safest to give him the space he asked for. So giving Edward a last concerned look, he hurried back down the stairs. He wasn't sure how he'd deal with the massive reptile all on his own, but he would.

Edward had reached the phone, and instantly picked it up and checked the number written in his calendar before dialing quickly. He saw Thomas go down the staircase, but he ignored it otherwise. Instead he slumped against the wall, and out of sight of his assistant, his shoulders sagged in defeat.

**Liria, Bahr al Jabal, Sudan**

"Doctah, doctah!"

Riza Hawkeye pushed the hair out of her eyes as she straightened from the microscope she'd been looking through that was perched on the rough hewn wood table that was her main workspace here in the outdoor clinic she ran. She did have a building, but it was mostly used to store medicine and treat patients. Although with no one actually in for an appointment today she could have worked inside. But she rather liked being out in the open air. The slide she was working on with her microscope wasn't anything that would be affected by being outdoors in an unsterilized area. "Yes, Gonoo." She asked the young boy and her helpful assistant fondly.

He gave her a toothy grin, and pointed towards the mud brick and wood clinic building. "Ther' be a call for you."

"Oh? From who?" She asked with a bit of a frown. She rarely got phone calls, as her patients usually didn't have phones. Yet she had paid to have a line installed anyway. Or rather, the W.H.O. had paid. But her employers rarely called unless to check on certain health statuses. Or lack of health as the case usually was. She was one of few relatively permanently placed doctors in the barely five years old fledgling health organization. And her lot seemed to be ignored and trusted.

"Did'n give his name. He soun'ned not so good though." Gonoo said rather frankly, his head bobbing up and down.

Riza was intrigued by that, and she stood up. "Okay. Why don't you finish up inside? It's nearly dinner time and your mother will want you home."

Gonoo immediately flashed her another toothy smile, and dashed back to the clinic. Riza followed.

Walking over to the wall where the phone was bolted precariously, she grabbed the receiver up from where Gonoo had let it rest on the ground and put it to her ear. "Hawkeye speaking."

"_Riza, I need your help."_ Answered a familiar voice, a distantly familiar voice. One that definitely didn't sound good at all.

Riza barely took a second to place the voice. "Edward?! I haven't heard from you in- never mind, what's the matter? You don't sound that great."

"_I'm not. If this is what I think it is… I need your help. I think he's"_ there was a pause and a rough clearing of a throat, _"he'll die unless he gets medical help. I don't trust anyone but you though."_

Riza frowned at that, though she was already worrying. "Ed, what's going on? Who's dying? I mean, I know you don't like hospitals but maybe it'd be better? I'm in Sudan for goodness sake! Do you know how far away London is by plane from Sudan?"

"_Do you remember Raymond?"_

"Yes…" she replied hesitantly, unsure of where this was going.

"_Have you heard any news out of England for the last few months?"_

"I haven't heard any news for nearly two years."

"_Raymond had a half brother who's a friend of mine. They look like they could be identical twins. I _can't_ take him to the hospital for obvious reasons. People hate Raymond, and I can't guarantee that no doctor there would try and sabotage Roy! Roy's here now, and he collapsed. I found blood on his hand but no wounds."_

She instantly didn't like the sound of that. If the blood wasn't from an external source, there was only one other potential source. And internal bleeding of any kind was never good. "Then depending on what it is, he doesn't have much time…"

"_I know that!"_ Edward's voice was a controlled, quiet scream. _"I wouldn't be calling you if this was something I could fix on my own! If there's any chance you can save him I have to try to get you here. Whatever you want as compensation it's yours. I just can't let him die. He's like family to me."_

"Easy." Riza soothed. "Deep breaths, paper bag. I'm on my way to the airport. I'll catch a taxi to your place as soon as my flight gets in. I don't want anything but maybe a cup of coffee when I arrive. What the hell sort of use do I have for money out here?" She laughed with a roll of her eyes.

"_Thank you!"_

"Don't thank me yet." She muttered, and hung up the phone.

Looking around, she saw Gonoo had already left. So she grabbed a pen and paper to write a note for the boy before going into a whirlwind getting the medical bag she'd need packed and her work outside back inside. She stashed all the medicine and equipment she'd think she'd need, grabbed her passport, and locked the clinic up.

Gonoo had a key and would find her note.

She hailed one of the rickshaws, and so began her journey back to merry old England.

**London**

Thomas was gone with the komodo dragon. Edward had heard him leave. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there in that chair at Roy's bedside like some tortured soul held together by temporary concrete, but as soon as he heard Thomas leave, he moved at last.

He had one last phone call to make. And he hadn't wanted Thomas to be around for it and possibly overhear.

He left Roy's side with a lingering kiss to the man's forehead. A few tears managed to squeeze past the barrier he'd erected, and he could feel them weakening the last of his strength to remain "in control" as they slipped down his cheeks. "Don't leave me…" he whispered through the pain that wouldn't leave him alone. Pain he wasn't sure he wanted to go away.

Making his way back to the phone, he dialed again, and sat down on the floor to wrap his free arm around his knees which he hugged to his chest. And silently he hoped that Alphonse was there.

"_Hello?"_

"Al…" Edward began as the tears began to slip out one by one. At first they came slowly, but with each one it became easier to let them free. And he searched for words for a few seconds as the confliction and helplessness showed in his face. "…I don't know what to do."

"_Brother?"_ Al's voice was instantly worried. _"What's wrong? What happened?"_

"I think Roy's dying again." He wasn't sure how he managed to get that out. But once it was, everything came pouring out. "He collapsed, there was blood. He must have coughed it up. He told me he must have died back in Amestris from whatever it was, he never told me, but that here he felt fine. But what if he wasn't? What if it was just dormant? And now he won't wake up and I can't do anything!"

"_Brother!" _Al's voice cut off more frantic ramblings from his brother when Edward was clearly getting closer to sounding as if he were about to start sobbing. _"Stay calm. Did you call Riza?"_

"I called her." Edward rubbed at his forehead with his other hand now. "She's on her way."

"_Did Roy ever give you an amount of time he was sick before?"_

"He said about a month… but what would that matter? You haven't seen him since he came back. He's practically skin and bones! It wouldn't take much more than a decent flu to finish him off."

"_Then you have to hope he can hold out until Riza gets there."_ Alphonse's voice was steady, but laced with worry. _"I'll be there by tomorrow. Just keep an eye on him."_

Edward was startled out of his helpless feeling sadness by that. "What?! No! Al, you're there on work!"

"_And you're my brother, and Roy's not just only the person you love. He's a good friend to me too. One day I hope to call him my brother-in-law, and I am not letting you go through this alone!"_

"Al-"

"_I know what I'm doing, brother. I'll call in at work and say a family emergency came up. I'll reschedule everything for my assignment for when I return. Everyone will understand."_

Edward sighed, knowing it was useless to argue. And honestly, he felt a sense of relief knowing that Al would be there soon. "What about Marta?"

There was a pause, and then, _"I'll go see her and talk to her before I leave. So she doesn't worry. I'll get the first flight out as soon as I get to the airport. You just stay there and keep an eye on Roy. He needs you right now."_

"Thank you…" Edward whispered into the phone through shut eyes.

"_Hanging up now. I'll be there by tomorrow."_

"Bye." Edward said, and even as the line went dead, he let the phone hang in his grip as he sat there numbly for some time, before he finally hung it back up.

Getting to his feet he made his way back into the bedroom he'd put Roy into, feeling utterly detached from the world. As if this were a cruel dream he was just waiting to wake up from. He wasn't sure anymore if tears silently slipped down his cheeks. He just worked on changing Roy as carefully as he could into a pair of pajamas so the man would be more comfortable.

Roy never stirred, though he still breathed steadily. Yet his face remained lacking in color.

**Toronto**

Alphonse had his things packed in record time. He had managed it while carrying around the phone and the receiver as he made phone calls to both his boss - who understood and offered to pay him for the leave - and the ticket office at the airport. And once he'd finished with his phone calls he hung up and was out the door to check out of his hotel room for now.

He wasn't sure how long he'd be gone, but he knew that his work would provide him another room when he felt he could return back. Which would be when Roy was in the clear. He wouldn't leave his brother to deal with this alone. Only they knew the depth of the bond they all shared, and he knew that though Edward may not admit it, they all needed each other right now.

So he would leave.

He only hoped Marta would understand.

After dealing with checking out, he hailed a taxi. But along with directions to take him to the airport, came his request of where he wanted to stop beforehand. It wasn't early morning or late morning rush hour for food at the bakery. Which he supposed was lucky. He'd be able to talk to Marta sooner.

And he tapped a finger on his knee as he waited for the taxi to complete the drive there. Something which he felt took forever, but in reality only probably took a few minutes. It would have been far longer if he'd have walked.

When the taxi pulled up to the curb, he got out with instructions to wait here for him. And then he was hurrying inside.

Marta was fixing one of her displays inside one of the chilled display cases when Al walked in. She saw a pair of familiar looking legs through the glass and straightened from what she was doing with a smile. One that quickly faded as she saw the look of worry etched on his face. "Al, are you okay?"

With a nod, Alphonse walked over to her, making his way behind the counter. "There's been a family emergency back home. I have to leave for a while. I'll be back as soon as it's all settled… I just don't know when."

Marta stared at him silently for a moment, before braving a smile and nodding. "Okay. I understand."

Alphonse frowned at her, and stepped forward to take her hands in his. "Marta, I will be back. I promised. I just need to be home right now."

"It's not that I don't believe you." Marta reassured him, squeezing his hands. "It just caught me off guard is all. Is it your brother? Did something happen to him?"

Al shook his head. "Roy. Who's just about as close to family as it gets for the both of us. I can't give details, I don't really know much. But I know I'm needed." And he looked at her worriedly. "I _am_ sorry…"

Marta gave him a pointed look. "You'll be back. No need to be sorry." She said, and stepped forward to kiss his cheek. "You're right in going home for now. I do understand you know. I just wish there was something I could do for you."

"What more could I ask for?" Alphonse smiled at her. "As soon as I'm sure Roy will get better, I'll come right back. And I'll have you waiting for me. There's not anything I want more than that."

Marta couldn't help but smile at the flattery. And at any other time, any other less serious a time, she might have teased him about it. But not now. "I'll be waiting." She agreed, and knew she would be. "But Al… are you sure he'll get better?"

Alphonse smiled at her sadly. "It's something to hope for. I don't know what's wrong. But believe me, if I've thought about the darker side of what could happen, I know my brother has thought about it twice as much. We've both walked too close to death… him more than I, more often. But we still have hope. It's why we're both alive still."

"I hope everything turns out okay. And you come back." Marta told him firmly. "You have an article to write… and I have some other things I'd like you to try, be my guinea pig on. But you have to come back for it."

He laughed at that for a bit, and then sobered. "Thank you… I'll come back as soon as I can for that." Alphonse promised and leaned in to exchange a lingering kiss with the only woman he knew he'd come back for time and time again.

When they pulled away, Marta kissed his cheek. "Good luck. I hope Roy gets better."

Alphonse nodded, and smiled at her almost wistfully. "Me too. Take care of yourself. I'll be back as soon as I can, promise."

**London**

After several hours spent in agonizing waiting where nothing happened but the passage of time, Edward changed into pajamas himself, and laid the gun on the bedside table before crawling into the bed next to Roy. Laying one arm over the man's chest he spooned up against him as close as he dared. But close enough he could hear Roy's faint heartbeat. Closing his eyes tightly he silently shivered not from cold, but from an emotion he hadn't experienced in many years.

Fear.

For the first time since he'd nearly been killed by a psychopath as a teenager, he knew what it was like to feel afraid. And he was terrified, he knew he was. He was terrified to lose Roy.

"I love you…" he whispered in the too quiet silence of the bedroom. "Please, Roy… I need you… don't leave me alone…"


	40. Chapter 40

amlf: CPR it is then! Where's a sexy bishie to give you CPR...

Bar-Ohki: Because I'm evil... XD

GreedxEd: Not favor Raymond? Don't you know me at all? XD. I adore Raymond to pieces. And Riza is in one of the states in Sudan, in one of the cities. The state is named differently though than it is now, the name got changed in '05, which of course means I couldn't use the current one.

GiftBasket: Nothing like a reunion... as to character killing I won't say anything yet, just that you'll know in the next few chapters whether or not Roy gets saved.

moonstone: Don't tempt Kedder XD.

Mary: Interpol? Crap!

anmb: My theory is that we turn the komodo into steaks and have a bbq.

Elle: So much happens in 1950... it makes me slightly afraid of how much time I actually spent researching the year. I'm really glad you're hooked on the story right now.

Tana: Not the puppy eyes! Oh it weakens meeee.... crap.

haganeno: Food! I love food! -accepts food offerings-

Koorii: You'e exused XD. And watch me just leave it at that and let everyone else wonder what for...

copycat: Zombie Roy... that would be scary. Though another author friend of mine would love it, she has an Alfons zombie.

Gaarahottie: I hope you haven't died just yet...

Cheru-chan: ....-stares at the rant- ... wow. -hugs and eats cupcakes- You are wuvved.

PaperBagGhost: I should start putting up "you may pull out all your hair" warnings as well...

Shinimegami: Riza is fun when she's confused. And about the question of what more I can do to them... -cackle-

Moonlit: Only seven? Al was thinking eight, a nice even number. But Marta wants thirteen so she can have a bakers' dozen.

Isabelle: Fooooood -follows waving gift basket around hypnotized- no killing for food... I want food...

Eli: ...wait..Eli?! SQUEEOMGYOULIVE! -tacklehugs and has no idea what you reviewed with- ...you shall see if Riza has a gun. And yes... I've been hiding from readers.

Sailor Silver Rose: Yum! I'll definitely take that, thank you. And we shall see if I have mercy...

mutant: She ditched you? Well she better come back soon. You may inform her that I miss hearing from her as well.

* * *

Now I actually had to split this chapter when I originally wrote it. You'll see the reason for my splits once I get the next few up. ...besides it originally being nearly thirty pages long. But oh I love this chapter, personal preference XD. I'm allowed to have my favorite chapters.

I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Forty

"Come on now…"

Roy groaned as the words disturbed his black peace.

"Seriously, rise and shine…"

Rise and shine? He'd pass.

"Look, I may have eternity, but you do not! Now wake up!"

Roy jolted awake and into a seated position so fast his head swam. He had to rub at his temples until the momentary blackout of his vision cleared. When it had, he found himself staring around at a place he'd never seen before in his life. A place of tall marble pillars, a vaulted fresco ceiling, and white walls. "…the hell?"

"Not quite."

Roy's head turned so fast he was surprised he didn't injure himself, and came face to face with… himself. Himself that was walking towards him with two eyes and wearing an outdated black suit. "I'm dead or dreaming."

"Again," the other answered, and knelt down beside Roy, "not quite." And he cast a curious appraising glance over Roy, a darkly amused smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "I always had a feeling that this is how it was. I guess in a way I'm glad I was right."

Roy frowned as he slowly managed to get to his feet. It was harder than it looked, his limbs felt as if they weighed as much as Nitro. "What is going on?"

"Something like a dream, something like death, somewhere in between." Was the almost sing-songed reply, and the other man stood as well. Keeping a close eye on Roy who looked a bit unsteady on his feet. "But either way you're here. I'm here. And I have no idea why," he sighed, "so you'll have to explain what happened before you woke up here and I suppose we'll figure out why this happened."

Roy's eyes widened as it all suddenly hit him full force like a ton of bricks. "You're dead!"

The other scowled and rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the reminder. I hadn't noticed."

"Raymond…"

"So you know about me." Raymond gave him a sympathetic look. "Though not surprising." He said, his eyes glancing Roy over again. "But I wonder how much you do know."

"Raymond!"

Raymond blinked, and arched and eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You can't… this shouldn't be possible. It's a dream. I mean logically-"

"Logically?" Raymond interrupted with a laugh. "Logic has never had anything to do with it. Logically the idea that this-" he waved a hand around, "-is possible, is _impossible_ given all known scientific reasoning. Yet here we are. In my old home. But think of it as a dream, it's probably the closest accurate definition to be given."

"You haven't even known the half of it." Roy replied wryly, thinking about how much was truly impossible to Raymond considering the differences of their heritage. "Fine, you're here. So I'm not… dead again? More like a dream?" He looked around, "a really freaky dream…"

Raymond frowned at him, "again?" But he shook his head. "Another time. And don't call my home freaky. But no, you're not dead. I can tell that much. _I'm_ the dead one, not you. As you were so sensitive as to point out earlier."

Roy smirked, "we're more similar with that sensitivity thing than you know. You're my reflection, and if what you wrote in that letter was true, we're not so different as Edward thinks."

Raymond, who had strolled off to examine one of the pillars now strode back over to Roy. "What reason would I have had for lying? What benefit?" He asked rather harshly. "That was sent to him when I died. I had no reason to lie. There was nothing more to be done to me."

Roy had to admit, he had a point there.

"But I think you have some explaining to do." Raymond said pointedly. "Starting with who you are."

"It's not so simple as to start with that." Roy told him in wry amusement. "But let's give that a shot and see what questions and demands you have then."

Raymond waved a hand. "Go ahead."

Roy gave a short huff of a laugh. This would be an entertaining dream. "I'm Roy Mustang. I am not from the planet you were, and neither is Edward, or Alphonse. We came from a country called Amestris on a world only linked to yours by something we call the Gate. I don't know as much about the thing as Edward does, but that's beside the point."

Raymond remained surprisingly silent and calm through that revelation. But his eyes were clearly assessing whether or not this was a load of crap.

"We had to pass through it to get to your world. Though… at different times." And he paused to think of how to start explaining, before he continued. "I met Edward when he was but a kid, he'd just saved Al's life by sacrificing two of his limbs to the Gate and was bleeding out. He was having automail surgery when I found him to save his life and give him the limbs he has now. Have you ever seen them?"

Raymond shook his head. "He never even removed his gloves. But I knew he had fake limbs, he told me once… a long time ago." He finished nostalgically, but shook his head. "Continue."

"That's when I met him, and gave him the proposition that he join the military of the country as a State Alchemist like myself. He took the test, and passed at the youngest age ever. He was the most brilliant alchemist I'd ever met." Roy remembered fondly. "He could create or destroy with his alchemy on a level I'd never seen before except in myself. At least… on the destruction level. But even so, I think he was more powerful than he ever let on."

"This alchemy," Raymond interrupted, "is like changing things into gold and such?"

"It's illegal, though he still did it once." Roy smirked, "but yes. We alter things through our own knowledge of alchemy and our own will to make it happen. Usually we need things called transmutation circles, but Edward never did. Mine were stitched on my own gloves so I never needed to bother with drawing them. Edward's lack of needing circles is one of the reasons he was so good. But on your world, alchemy does not exist. So we cannot be who we really are… but we adapt as best we can I suppose."

Raymond nodded, showing that he understood the explanation as good as he knew he would.

"For reasons relating to Alphonse, Edward stayed on my team in the military. And we actually spent most of our time together arguing. But nearer the end… that day I knew I might not ever see him again… we understood one another." Roy fell silent for a few seconds as he recalled that day. Saw Edward that last time before he turned and ran away, heading towards the long years that they'd spend without each other. "And I didn't see him again for years. But I knew that one day he'd be back. Only when he did come back, he left nearly as fast. Sacrificed where he truly belonged to prevent anyone from our worlds crossing over again. I watched him go, destroyed the opening to the Gate on my side, he on his I assume. And I believed I'd never see him again."

"If you destroyed this Gate entrance thing," Raymond began with a small frown, "how did you end up in my world?"

"I haven't a clue." Roy admitted. "I suppose it's one thing about the Gate that neither of us could predict it could do. Although, I'm not too sure actually how I ended up there. As my clothes were sort of missing… but that's beside the point. Back in Amestris I became Fuhrer, and before I came to the world you know, I'd been sick for maybe a month. I knew I was dying, but I just let it happen. I believe I died and ended up in this world. And that's the short version of who I am. The short version of who Edward really is. I can't really explain who I am without explaining who Edward is… we were that connected."

Raymond pursed his lips, and gave Roy a calculating look before resuming his pacing, but slower this time. And all the while watching Roy like some sort of animal hunting prey.

"So?" Roy asked after Raymond had been quiet and pacing for some time.

Raymond gave a short laugh. "You were right, that's not so simple at all."

Roy smirked. "Told you. You shouldn't doubt me so. We're practically the same person."

"Yes." Raymond agreed, it was hard to deny. The only difference between them was that Roy was missing an eye. "But you're obviously the more dominant if I was required to die so that you can live. Which I am gathering is what happened. My death was rather sudden, and would have been around when I predict you arrived." And then Raymond frowned a bit. "So Edward wasn't from Earth either..." He laughed, almost bitterly. "He's sure fooling everyone."

"A lot like yourself, wouldn't you say?" Roy pointed out to the man.

Raymond nodded, and chuckled a bit. "Yes… a lot like me indeed."

"Ed has always had a way with people. Even when he was just starting to work for me. He was commonly the one I'd send out to deal with civilian matters, and he'd get the job done… and usually blow shit up in the process. But he's a natural peacekeeper, whether he realized the significance of the title the people gave him or not." Roy said with an amused sort of smile. "It doesn't surprise me that he manipulated an entire planet into believing _he_ existed there all along."

Raymond frowned a bit. "So why did Edward come here? Besides that second time you told me about."

"And Al." Roy shrugged. "More long stories. That was a very eventful time for us. But I had no choice. I assume I died and was sent here."

"But Edward's first time?"

Roy smiled wryly. "That's where the story gets long, and I barely know the half of it. There are holes that only he could fill. But what I know, is that he has been sent here twice. The second time was by choice, as I told you." And Roy shook his head, "stupid choice. He's far too self-sacrificing for his own good. But he chose it, and Al followed him that time. The first time… it's a massive hole as to why he was sent here. He's never told me… and I never asked."

Raymond mulled that over, before giving Roy a critical look. "If you did die, how did you die? You said you were sick. With what?"

With a bit of a grimace, Roy tried not to feel bitter about it. "I developed tuberculosis. And I let it take its course, though there was something that could have been done to cure it. After about that month of time it ran its course, and took my life. So I assume."

Raymond was actually impressed, despite the seriousness of what Roy had had. "And let me guess, you hid it from everyone?"

Roy nodded affirmatively. "See. We are alike. You would have hid it as well I'm sure. Just like you hid the truth from Edward."

With a laugh, Raymond nodded. "We tend to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. Suffer silently for what we believe to be worth more than ourselves."

"About your sacrifice," Roy began with something of a frown. "I read the letter. Edward didn't. I gave it to him but he burned it. He has no idea."

Raymond was torn between laughing and accusing Roy of making a bad joke, and hitting said man. He settled for giving Roy a blank look. "He burned it." He echoed monotonously.

"…Yeah."

"Why did he say he burned it?" Raymond asked wearily and rubbed at his face with both hands.

"Because it's Ed." Roy said simply, and then explained. "He was finally healing, and then that letter… for him it was enough that I'd read it."

Raymond pulled his hands away and let out a huff of a breath. "And you never told him?"

"This is Ed we're talking about. Would you have told him in my place? Were our places exchanged? Forget the fact of what we did that night. I could have waited longer if I had to." Roy ignored Raymond's agape look, and tried not to smirk that the man was realizing what he'd been referring to. "I could have waited until he came to terms with it. But would _you_ have told him?"

Raymond actually had to pause to think it over. Would he have? He could guess how what he'd done had tortured Edward over time. He'd seen the blond, looked into his eyes often enough during those last times, and even then he could plainly see how badly he'd hurt the one he loved more than life itself. But he had had no choice. And if Edward were finally healing… could he chance putting that progress to ruin?

Roy watched as Raymond rubbed at his temples one-handedly. "Complicated decision." He remarked aloud. "Isn't it."

"Too complicated." Raymond agreed. On one hand, the truth might only prove more damaging. But on the other… it just might help the healing process. Finally, he looked at Roy. "You know him best… can he handle the truth right now?"

Now Roy had something to think about. And think about it he did as he walked over to one of the pillars and lean back against it casually. Could Edward handle it? Things had changed since that night Raymond's letter had been burned. Standing here now he was beginning to realize just how much things had changed. So could Edward handle hearing the truth? But then again… this _was_ Edward they were talking about. "Yes." He answered slowly, carefully, and met Raymond's eyes. "It may hurt him. Fuck, it _will_ hurt him. But I don't think he'd completely break down and have another binge drinking session. Not anymore."

"I never wanted to hurt him. Ever." Raymond sighed wearily. He'd had to live with his own pain from what he'd done until his sudden death. And he'd lived every day, believing that the pain he felt surely wasn't enough. That he deserved to suffer more. Even if he'd done the right thing. "Saving his life was more important to me though."

Roy nodded in understanding. "I would have done the same." He knew he would have. If ever it came down to his life or Ed's, he knew which he'd choose to sacrifice. "You loved him very much."

Raymond smiled faintly, and looked upon the other man with a dark sort of amusement. "I do even in death. But we were never meant to be. He and I. I accepted that a long time ago. As I'm sure you read."

Roy wasn't sure what to say to that. And really, what _could _he say? To Raymond, he was the one Edward loved. Even though he and Raymond were practically the same people. "So," he finally began, "I'll do what you want me to about Edward knowing the truth. It's up to you. Either way he'll still be hurt. It's your decision as to what he is hurt over."

"And you'll get to comfort him either way." Raymond sighed, his head rolling back as he did so.

"Don't sound jealous. We're not jealous." Roy chided him lightly.

Raymond gave him a withering look. "I'm not jealous. Not of you. Of someone else, sure. But not of you. Go figure that I like you."

Roy chuckled. Yes, go figure indeed. He didn't have to give much thought as to why. "But yes, I'll be there for him if he needs me. As I know you would be."

"Yes." Raymond agreed. "I just want to know he'll have comfort if he needs or wants it."

"He'll have it."

Raymond nodded, but didn't answer for some time as he watched Roy thoughtfully. "Then… tell him the truth. It was not in my plans to have died so soon. I thought Edward would have had more time to move on. I suppose I'd fear for him if he had not… which he clearly hadn't when the letter arrived, and then been along with no one to care for him. However he reacted. But he'll have you… and to me, that's the best possible way for this to work out."

Roy nodded in acceptance. "I'll tell him then." And it was a promise. He would tell Edward… and no matter what happened because of it, he'd be there for the blond.

Raymond smiled softly, and nodded again. "Thank you." But he soon turned a bit more serious. "But I can't begin to believe that settling that matter is the reason why we both find ourselves here now. Which brings me back to the fact that you need to tell me what happened before you woke up here… and called me dead and my home freaky."

"I can't help but state the truth." Roy grinned, and laughed as Raymond scowled at him good naturedly. "Right, sorry."

Raymond shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "We really are too much alike."

"I told you. You're my reflection, hence my being the more dominant one as you so stated earlier. You have to die so I can live."

"You're sweet. I wonder what Edward sees in you."

"I have no idea, but I know I'm the luckiest man alive." And Roy paused, his face showing the irony he felt at such a statement. "Never mind… too ominous."

With a hum of response, Raymond walked over to where Roy still was leaning up against a pillar, and leaned up against the same one on Roy's left side. "You are you know. Now tell me what happened."

"I think my tuberculosis came back." He kept his answer simple, and very much to the point.

Raymond frowned, and turned his head to look over at Roy. "Why would you say that?"

Roy knew it was probably his own fault. He'd misread the signs, like a fool. He should have recognized those coughs for what they'd been. Not passed them off as being caused from cold air. He'd never been given any guarantee that he had been cured after all. He'd just assumed. So what if it had been dormant, and then the winter brought it on again? "For about a week now… maybe more… I've been coughing again. Not a lot. Usually just when I go out into the cold. But before I woke up here I was coughing again. I wasn't cold, we were inside the house, had just taken care of a huge ass problem, and I was plenty warm. When I saw the blood on my hand I suddenly realized… it came back. I was on my way down the rest of the stairs to tell Edward I needed help when I blacked out."

"I see…" Raymond said quietly after Roy had finished. And he let out a heavy breath before walking around to face him. "You said before that you'd hid your sickness in this Amestris?"

Roy nodded an affirmative.

"Why, may I ask, did you hide it?" Raymond continued bluntly.

"I didn't want to be saved… surely you can understand the sentiment." Roy answered, not in the least bit sarcastically.

Raymond nodded. "I can…" he trailed off for a moment, "…but why did you not want to be saved? What greater good was it meant for?"

At that, Roy looked away, and stepped away as well. His hands shoved into his pockets as he began to step lightly across the floor with a distant expression. "Life sort of lost its color for me without Edward. I could only take so much before I could no longer see a point in continuing without him. I never expected I'd end up where I did… have a second chance to be with him and tell him how I felt."

As Roy walked around aimlessly, Raymond watched him as he silently thought over what he'd just learned. And really, he couldn't blame Roy for feeling that way. Life without Edward… it wasn't filled with any color. Just an endless parade of black and white and every shade the two could create. If he had had a second chance with Edward, he knew he'd have taken it. But he'd known he hadn't a chance… and really in a way, the same could be said for Roy. "You know… it's hard to believe people when they say they understand how you feel. About that. …It's so personal. Yet…"

"…you understand how insignificant everything else becomes…"

"…how people must believe you're truly a fool for believing that you could ever love someone so much…"

"…that they're worth more than your own life." Roy ended, turning to look at Raymond who watched him with that look he knew so well, a look of sad understanding that he'd often turned on Edward years ago when the blond had been but a teenager struggling to make sense of the madness he'd been thrown into. Just as he now was trying to understand this strange dream but not-a-dream that he found himself in.

"I do." Raymond agreed softly. "Before I was forced into hurting Edward to make sure his life was spared, I'd been about to resign from my post as ambassador. I was going to leave it behind, get a job in London… be with him. Or try to. Yet I ended up leaving much more behind than I thought I would. All because of love. Maybe I was a fool for it…"

"…but you love him." Roy finished for him when Raymond seemed unable to. In fact, for the first time he'd seen, Raymond looked as if he were holding back tears. "And there's no foolishness in a love like we have towards him."

With a heavy, weary sigh, Raymond pushed his hair back with one hand. "No…" and he looked back at Roy. "So I understand why you didn't fight it… try to cure the sickness and would rather eventual death. I'm probably the only person who truly does."

"You would know me best." Roy smiled faintly.

Raymond laughed shortly, and walked over to him. "This Gate… you believe it sent you through after your death?" He asked upon reaching him, the laughter gone now, and his expression thoughtful.

Nodding, Roy tilted his head a bit. "Yes… why? What does that have to do with Edward?"

"Everything." Raymond smiled, and reached up to touch Roy's cheek in a gentle touch. "Edward is our everything. You would have rather died than go on without him. The same went for me. Yet I do not merit a second chance… I'm not the dominant one between us."

Roy tried not to let his imagination run away right then.

But the twinkle in Raymond's eyes clearly let Roy knew that he knew _exactly _where the man's thoughts had gone. They _were_ two in the same for the most part after all. "This Gate brought you back because you _are_ the dominant one. You _get_ a second chance. This tuberculosis… maybe it's just a means to reach an end. You wanted a second chance deep down. A chance to tell Edward how you felt. You said it yourself, "I never expected I'd end up where I did… have a second chance to be with him and tell him how I felt," and am I wrong in thinking that you have told him how you feel about him?"

Roy nodded slowly, but not quite following where Raymond was going with this. And this was one of the points in which they diverged as separate beings, so he had to wait for it to become clear to him what Raymond was getting at.

"But you'd also need a second chance at life." Raymond said, and looked Roy over thoughtfully. "You've not told Edward why you let yourself die, have you." It was not a question, in fact, it sounded more like an accusation.

With a shake of his head that dislodged Raymond's hand that had still been on his cheek, Roy tried for a smile, but wasn't sure how it turned out. "I didn't think he needed to know."

Raymond promptly whacked him on the side of his head, not hard, but enough to be firm. "It doesn't matter. You need to tell him. You need to take your second chance at life this time. And that means finally shedding the past one. It means telling Edward why you let yourself die, so that it's no longer haunting you. Tuberculosis can be treated, but unless I miss my guess, you didn't contract it a second time in a place that would have had no chance of being a place to encounter the sickness, for no good reason. You're being given a sign here. This Gate gave you your second chance… maybe it's tired of waiting for you to get around to seizing it fully on your own. Think of it as a nudge."

"The Gate never gives fun nudges." Roy muttered. "It never makes sense… at least not to me. Edward's the one who knows the most about it, so it might make sense to him. But even for the Gate… that's a cruel, dangerous, and yet oddly…" he searched for an adequate word, "clever, way to try and make a point. If it is indeed trying to make a point." Roy decided, still mulling it over to himself.

"If it weren't," Raymond answered softly, "I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be here to tell you exactly how to finish accepting your second chance. You've been given a great gift in both a second life and Edward… Now that I know why this happened, why we're here together, you have to tell him everything once you wake up. You have the chance I will never have."

Roy was finally beginning to understand… but he wasn't sure if Raymond realized that the man actually was being given a second chance. By being here now, and giving him the permission to tell Edward about what really happened… Raymond finally had his own second chance. Just not in the way the man thought a second chance might come about. This one wasn't a second chance of love… or life… but one of a much deeper and sacred meaning.

"You can't live a second life if you're still haunted by what ended the first. And you are haunted… I just know." Raymond trailed off, looking deep into Roy's eyes.

"A strange definition you hold for being haunted." Roy remarked lightly.

"A strange definition you hold for second chances." Raymond retorted.

Roy smiled, and shook his head. "I think I get it now though… I have to tell Edward why I let myself die. Otherwise this second life, it doesn't mean as much."

Raymond smiled back, "no… It would be like me being given a second chance, and Edward never knowing the truth. Just going along with it blindly."

"But," Roy looked around, "now that we've figured all that out… how do I wake up from this whatever it is?"

"So eager to leave me?" Raymond teased with a devilish smirk.

"Well you _are_ dead, and your home _is_ freaky." Roy said, glancing around at the endless rows of pillars and endless lines of walls. The frescoed ceiling wasn't all that bad though.

Raymond rolled his eyes, "Just be patient for a while longer. And while we wait, I have to ask… I know bullets from the gun I gave Edward were fired." His presence had turned serious. "What is going on?"


	41. Chapter 41

GreedxEd: Dominant is not always in sex, you dirty minded wife XD. And yes, sexy Raymond was there... spreading his sexiness everywhere.

Bar-Ohki: It really is. Both Raymond and Roy really had a good cause to meet and talk.

moonstone: It's a dream... but yes, it's really Raymond. And Ed's reaction will be fun ... -braces herself-

Sailor Silver Rose: No, definitely don't be a lurker. The lurkers don't get to have as much fun with crazy me XD.

anmb: Attempt to banish them all you like, but I know where your thoughts were reading that chapter. Buahaha. Mine kind of went there as well writing it... which is why I wrote Raymond/Roy smut months ago XD. ...though I make Roy uke... because he's a big uke. -flees from him- And yes! Food!

Shinimegami: What kind of a break? Leg break? Or vacation break?

Tana: I'm glad you think they're cute. I absolutely adore them together.

haganeno: Yes... Roy kind of brings out the 'wtf' moments in all of us. And Roy is the uke when I did pair them up for an extra smut chapter on my LJ... he's dominant in the life thing... but not the smut.

Isabelle: Yay! I have food! And yes... streaking Roy kind of ranks up there with potentially scary considering he's a skeleton.

copycat: Roy/Raymond cat fight... why does that sound like something entirely too fun to watch? -hauls mind out of the gutter-

Koorii: Fangirl goo, it's more fun dear XD.

mutantpenguins: Yes, give her one. And thak you muchly for the food.

Cheru-chan: Popcorn? I hope you have dollar bills ready as well for the future... XD

Moonlit: Raymond agrees with you on that.

Gaara: Raymond loves you too XD.

Mary: Is this a bad thing?

Eli: Of course you were, you crazy person! I missed my Eli -snuggles- I hope they won't kill me... I give them Raymond and Roy, and the LJ people Raymond/Roy, and then this chapter...

GiftBasket: That was my Alice in Wonderland chapter part one XD. We all need one every now and then.

Elle: Hurt/comfort is fun to write, and yummy to read. And no, the two different people but still the same people... it is fun to write, but not at all easy. And you're not the only perv XD.

Koneko: Yes, pretty bows. And Raymond is scared of you now. And yes, Riza will always save Roy's ass... such is how awesome women are.

Lamia: I'm glad it was a good chapter, even if you're right, it was definitely unexpected. But it was fun to have an unexpected thing come in.

amlf: I have a wide selection of bishies for you to choose from to give you CPR... what color hair would you like him to have? And yes, Roy is the master of blunt statements.

E: Raymond loves you too... but would like to inform you from me that if you don't update he's going to borrow his gun back from Ed and clonk you over the head with it.

* * *

I can't wait until I have my laptop back, hopefully Tuesday. But hey, I was doing fairly well there with getting the daily updates back up and running and not having my laptop. So bare with me still.

And for those who do not know, on my LJ is the untitled Raymond/Roy smut I wrote. It's nothing PG-13 so those readers who'd rather not read it, steer clear. But Raymond/Roy/Ed is a desire of mine... have yet to add in Ed, but we'll see. I couldn't resist writing it though.

I am officially hungry... time to go cook steaks.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Forty One

Edward didn't sleep the entire night. Ever since Roy had come back into his life there had only been two times to date that he hadn't slept at all over the course of the night. The first, had been the night before Raymond's funeral. And now, the night of Roy lying there in his own sort of death. The man hadn't woken at all overnight. Which only served to make the fear settle deeper inside him as he lay there with Roy.

He had been hoping for any sign that Roy would wake… any sign of the man's color growing better. Or his breathing returning to normal. The heartbeat strengthening…

But none of it happened. Roy just lay there… and Edward could do little more than lie with him feeling utterly lost. Tears had run dry by now, leaving him with only an ache and a void that they might have soothed even temporarily.

Even the fantasy he tried to hide behind of telling himself this was a dream, a terrible dream, no longer held any strength over him.

He was completely adrift without Roy to ground him… when had it changed that he needed Roy so much? When had he committed himself so entirely to this man that something like this challenged the very foundation of his will?

He closed his eyes in a weariness that did not bring sleep, and a silent sigh slipped past his lips.

It shouldn't be that only now did he understand the depth of his love for Roy. Realize just how it consumed him.

When the dawn sunlight began to filter in through the windows, he finally opened his eyes again. There were no changes with Roy. And while it wasn't good… it wasn't bad either. He wouldn't know what to do if Roy were to get worse. He'd never dealt with anything like this before. He wasn't a doctor. His medical training was basic and survival at best. Not any use here and now.

He raised himself up some from the bed, leaning over to brush a kiss against Roy's unresponsive lips. "I love you… so hold on… come back to me…" And he sat up, looking down upon him with undisguised sadness. After a few minutes had passed, he carefully slipped off the bed.

He was expecting Alphonse at least sometime today. As much as he might want to lie around in bed watching over Roy, he knew he couldn't. Just like the morning before the funeral… he got up knowing that he was being relied upon for something, and couldn't give in to emotion until he was no longer needed to be strong. But this time, Roy wasn't waiting for him downstairs to take care of him.

Going back to their room he showered in freezing water to try and jolt him into some semblance of mental clarity, and then dressed on autopilot. He doubted that his hair was neatly braided, in fact he couldn't quite recall if he'd braided it properly at all. Slipping on his bunny-eared slippers he padded out of the room and downstairs.

Step by step down the stairs he was beginning to feel alert. And when he reached the bottom he was more aware of everything, but the pain was still gnawing at him relentlessly. He was beginning to truly understand that old adage of people claiming someone died of a broken heart. He could understand now how this pain could literally kill you.

He noticed in passing that the komodo dragon was gone from his floor. Along with any traces of blood. Silently he thanked Thomas… and mentally promised to thank the man in person. There had been no easy way he could have dealt with that as well. Even now, numb and in pain, but somewhat more aware, he wasn't sure he could deal with it.

Making his way into the kitchen he wasn't hungry, but he knew that it was just his emotions causing him to feel nauseous at the thought of food. He had been through feeling something like this once before… and though this was a thousand times worse, he held tightly to the memories of Roy helping him through it. A guide to survival.

He slowly went about putting some tea on to boil, his lack of speed due to the fact that after putting the kettle on the burner, he stared at the dials of the stove for several minutes trying to remember which one went to which burner. After he shook himself out of that, he went about finding food similar to what Roy had fed him that morning.

He found crackers, but was out of bananas. And he was unable to try and convince himself to prepare some other fruit. So he sat down wearily at the table with only a plastic package of crackers. He pulled one free of the wrapping, and forced himself to take a small bite which he chewed on until it had disintegrated into some odd paste. And he repeatedly did this until he'd finished the entire one cracker and the tea on the stove finished.

He poured himself a cup, and took both his tea and his package of crackers out to the staircase where he sat on the bottom step, leaning back against one of the rails for the banister. He stared at the door, but did not see it.

His eyes were elsewhere… seeing something else from long ago.

**Heathrow Airport**

Alphonse had barely slept the entire flight, not that he was surprised by it. Only when they were experiencing turbulence had he slept. And while he realized how odd most people thought him for that, he found the random movements of the aircraft through the buffeting air very relaxing. That and he was hardly scared of being trapped inside a metal object, it was rather the opposite.

Smirking a bit at that, he shook his head and stood up as the flight stewardess began having their cabin section file out.

But the rest of the flight? He'd been kept awake by sheer worry for not only Roy, but his brother. He knew how deeply his brother loved Roy. He could hardly remember a time anymore when he hadn't suspected, and later had confirmed, that his brother had feelings for the man. He couldn't imagine what Edward was going through right now. So he knew he needed to be there. And be there for Roy as well.

So as much as he missed Marta right now…

Here he was back on English soil.

He filed out of the airplane with the rest of the passengers, and only once he was free of their ranks did he head immediately to the baggage claims to get his things. The first plane out of Toronto hadn't exactly been big in cabin space, so he'd had to check in his bags.

Once he spotted them, he quickly seized them and turned to head out of the airport. He needed to find a taxi. Which he wasn't all too thrilled about. Taking a taxi out as far as where his brother lived was going to be expensive. But he would just have to demand food and lodging while he was there to make up for the monetary loss.

Not that he believed his brother wouldn't do so anyway.

He was exiting the terminal and darting out onto the sidewalk to hail a taxi, when he heard someone call out his name. But it wasn't his brother's voice, it was a voice he hadn't heard in far too long.

Turning around, he grinned despite the situation for which he was here for. "Riza!" He exclaimed happily, and met her halfway down the sidewalk where he set down his bags to give her a tight, glad hug.

"You made good time from wherever you came from." Riza remarked as she hugged him back. It had been far too long since she'd seen the man.

"Me?" Al pulled away and gave her a confused look. "I thought you were in Sudan. You shouldn't be here until tomorrow."

Riza arched an imperious eyebrow at him. "I was. But your brother isn't the only one who can get favors pulled for him when it's an emergency." And she put a finger to her lips. "But I can't tell a civilian… I'd have to kill you."

Alphonse laughed, for more than one reason. And one which she wouldn't understand. "I believe you would." And he looked towards the street, cluttered with cars, bikes, taxies, and pedestrians. "We better get over there. Do you have any ideas yet on what it is?"

Riza picked up her bags again, as did Al, and they began to walk to the curb. "From what Edward was able to tell me… between you and I, it's all a matter of hoping it's something treatable. Otherwise he'll most likely die."

"Yes…" Alphonse murmured, "let's keep that between you and me for now. I know brother already knows what the worst possible scenario would play out to be… I doubt he's allowed himself to hope. But it'd be best not to say it aloud just yet."

"Until I examine this Roy guy and see."

Alphonse nodded, and set one of his bags down so he could whistle sharply. A taxi was soon pulling in in front of them. "After you, doctor." He said, opening the door for her as the cabbie got out to help load the bags into the trunk of the car.

"Thank you." Riza smiled at him, and got in.

Alphonse finished helping with the bags, and as he climbed into the car as well he turned to the driver. "Glass Rose. Break whatever road laws you have to as long as we get there soon and safe."

"You got it." The cabbie grinned, took another puff of his cigar, and pulled away from the curb with a squeal of tires.

"So where were you? I thought you still lived in London?" Riza asked, turning to her friend in order to keep from wanting to throttle the cabbie who was weaving in and out of traffic like a maniac on Al's orders. She'd rather throttle him, than Alphonse.

Al nodded, "I was in Toronto on work. But when brother called… I couldn't _not_ come. I mean, Roy's my friend too." He wasn't too concerned about the driver overhearing them, the man was singing tunelessly to some Spanish song.

"What sort of work?"

"Can't tell a civilian yet," Al winked at her, "I'd have to kill you."

Riza blinked at him, and then burst out laughing. "I see the past five years haven't changed you any." She remarked in amusement as soon as her laughter faded.

"Of course not." He grinned at her.

However their mood dampened slightly when the taxi pulled up to the gates, and the driver looked back at Alphonse. "They're open, do I go in?"

Alphonse nodded, "as long as you stay in the car, Nitro won't try to eat you."

"Should I know who Nitro is?" Riza asked as the car pulled in through the gates and up the driveway.

"A llama he bought while you were off saving lives." Alphonse smiled, "it thinks it's a guard dog. Nitro is a bit legendary around here for being very good at his job and running people into the electric fence."

Riza's eyes widened, "and now he has an electric fence?"

"For the horses. To keep them out of the front yard."

"I think I'll have to take a tour of the additions when I have a moment to spare." Riza decided.

Al nodded slowly, "I'm sure that can be arranged."

The cab pulled up in front of the steps leading up to the front door, and the cabbie remained inside his car leaving Riza and Al to fend for themselves with bags after Al paid their fare. Sure enough, Nitro made an immediate appearance as soon as they started pulling bags from the car.

"I'll handle him, he doesn't know you yet, and we haven't the time to teach him to leave you alone." Alphonse said, and strode forward to intercept the llama while Riza watched. "Come here, Nitro."

Nitro hadn't seen this human in some time, but he knew the human. He was one of the trusted ones. So he ambled on over, though he threw Riza suspicious looks.

Alphonse grabbed both of Nitro's long ears and tugged on them back and forth. "You behave now. The front gates are open, so you make sure no one else comes in. Especially press."

"And he's supposed to understand that?" Riza asked as the llama snuffled and stared at the taxi taking up space there on the driveway.

"He does, somehow." Alphonse nodded, "he's a smart animal. All of Edward's animals are… a lot smarter than people give them credit for until they realize for themselves."

"Realize what?"

"That they're hardly dumb beasts." Al replied, and shoved Nitro away. "Go on now, do your job."

Nitro shot taxi and Riza one last suspicious look, before he began to plod down the driveway.

As the taxi drove off at last, Alphonse and Riza picked their bags out of the thin layer of snow still resting on the well used driveway, and made their way up to the door where Alphonse knocked loudly. He hoped Edward was in a place to hear, because his own keys for Edward's house were at his apartment.

They did not have to wait long before the door was thrown open, revealing an Edward who was drawn and pale, but looked overwhelmingly relieved to see them both.

Alphonse immediately stepped forward to dump his bags on the floor and hug his brother tightly. "I'd ask how you are… but I think I know."

Edward's laugh was verging on hollow as he hugged his brother back. "I'm glad you're here." And he looked over Alphonse's shoulder to where Riza stood, and felt a rush of salty gratitude. "You came… earlier than I expected…"

"You would have done the same for me." Riza wagered, and stepped inside as well. "Where's the patient?" She asked, setting down only the bag not containing her medical supplies.

Edward drew away from Al's embrace, and leaned around him to nudge the door shut. "This way." He said, and turned to begin leading them up the staircase.

The whole way Alphonse kept a close eye on his brother. Riza meanwhile was looking around at the chateau she hadn't been in for a very long time. It was not the largest one she'd ever been inside, but it was the only one that always felt like a home.

She doubted it was anything to do with the chateau itself… but more to do with its owner.

And right now the feeling of "home" here was undercut with sadness.

"He's in here." Edward said, stepping through the doorway to Roy's old, and for the present time, current room. His eyes immediately gravitated to the man still lying on the bed in the exact same position he'd been left.

Riza stepped forward past the two men with a quiet, "well I'll be damned."

"Uncanny, isn't it?" Edward asked lightly.

"That's one way to describe it." She muttered, and stepped briskly across the room to the bedside.

Alphonse came up to grip Edward around the arm lightly, and lean in to whisper into his brother's ear. "Let's go sit you down. You look dead on your feet, and you'll do no good fainting yourself." He said, and steered his brother to the armchair nearest the bed.

Edward sat without argument. He wasn't sure he could have argued if he wanted to. His worry for Roy overrode anything, and he was hanging onto threads of hope as Riza started her examination.

"Have you eaten anything?" Alphonse asked as he knelt at his brother's side, his eyes on Riza and Roy as well. Seeing Roy again, like this, was difficult. He was glad in a way he couldn't place, relieved almost, to see the man again. So much so that it only made the realization of Roy's sick condition all the harder to bare. He could barely begin to fathom how badly his brother was hurting on the inside.

"Crackers… a few. Had some tea." Edward spoke softly, and to the point.

Alphonse nodded, "after she's done examining him I'll make you something more to eat. No arguing."

Edward shook his head sadly. "Just don't blame me if I bring it back up all over you."

Al reached over to squeeze his brother's hand, and didn't wince at all when Edward gripped back, hard, with the automail hand.

Riza had just finished taking the vital signs of the by all first glances, comatose man. The blood pressure was down, as was the breathing rate. The breaths themselves sounded shallow. He didn't have any sort of fever, nor was he too cold. His temperature was steadily normal. "You said he coughed up blood?" She asked, now digging in her bag for a syringe.

"Yes." Edward answered quietly from where he sat. "Not much… but then this?"

Riza nodded to herself, and inserted a needle into Roy's arm to begin drawing blood. "I'll run a blood test. Then we'll know for sure. He is stable though… as far as what you say happened. Given his clear lack of body weight… it doesn't make sense. He should be in a far worse condition. But be grateful for that for right now."

"How long until you know the result?" Edward asked quickly.

"It all depends on how the blood sample turns out." She said, and drew out the needle, quickly capping it for sanitary reasons. "But at the least, a few hours." And she turned to Edward solemnly. "You have to understand, Edward… even if whatever it is he has is treatable, his body in this condition, holding on as well as it is now, is going to leave him very exhausted. Leave him open to getting sick again easily. So you must take precautions, and keep his health improving."

Edward looked from her to the one he loved, "I'll do whatever I must."

The answer must have pleased Riza, for she stood up and collected her things. "I'll start working right away. Any of the spare rooms I take it?"

Edward nodded.

As Riza left to begin her work, Alphonse stood up. "I'm going to go make us all something to eat. You stay here… you both need each other right now. She won't be back in here for a few more hours at best."

Edward let out a long, shaky breath. "I'm sorry…"

Giving his brother a knowing, but sad smile, Al leaned down and kissed the top of Edward's head. "Don't worry about me, or Riza, or being a good host. I'll take care of everything. You just take care of you, and Roy. And right now the way to be doing that is being here with him."

Turning in his chair, Edward watched as Al left the room to go tend to matters of food. Once his brother was out of sight, he turned back to Roy and stood. Grabbing the arms of the chair he tugged it over to the bedside before curling up in it. "You've just got to be okay…" he whispered, and reached out to take Roy's hand in his. "I'm scared…"

Downstairs Alphonse had busied himself with making sandwiches. Ham and cheese for he and Riza. But for Edward, he went slightly less rich and stuck with a simple peanut butter with jelly one. Outside in the snow he could see some of the horses, and wanted very much to go out and see this filly. But that could be done later.

He finished making some lunch for them all, and then carted it back upstairs. He found the room Riza had holed herself up in, and set it off to the side for her. The woman was so completely immersed in what she was doing he wasn't sure she knew he'd been there. So he shrugged and left her to it, and headed into the room Roy had been put into.

Edward looked up as Alphonse reentered the room. "Funny… isn't it… and sad… that we've all survived so much… only to be bested by something we can't see."

"Don't talk like that." Alphonse chastised, and walked in to sit down on the edge of the armchair. "You two have both been brought back to life, for whatever reason. The Gate was behind it… I sincerely doubt that the Gate brought Roy back just for this to happen. But it makes me wonder why this happened."

"The Gate." Edward choked out a bitter laugh, and his eyes fell shut. "Reasoning never has been something it's capable of. It's capable of knowledge, truth, making a mess out of something perfectly nice. But it does not reason. Reasoning is a shade of grey to the black and white it uses."

Alphonse looked down at him, and did believe what his brother said. But he wondered if even for his brother's connection and unwanted knowledge of the Gate, if Edward didn't know as much as he thought. After all… the Gate was something none of them could truly explain the existence of… how capable was a mere human of absorbing such a thing? "We'll see what happens. …just don't give up."

Edward shook his head slowly, his eyes riveted on Roy. "Giving up isn't in me… but fear is. I'm afraid again… and knowing it scares me even more."

Staying quiet for some time, Al puzzled that over to himself. His brother hadn't been afraid of anything since they were teenagers. And now, with Roy's fate resting on the edge of a knife about to tip either way, his brother was scared again. "You really love him, don't you." He said quietly.

"Yes." Edward answered simply, and then sighed as he bowed his head.

Al managed a small smile, and tore off a piece of Edward's sandwich to hold it out to him. "Eat. You need to eat to keep up your strength."

Edward took it, and put it into his mouth. It was tasteless to him, even though he loved peanut butter. Right now, he couldn't taste it. But he chewed obediently, and swallowed at Al's urging. It took almost an hour before Edward finished eating. Alphonse had eaten his meal in between forcing his brother to eat. But finish they did.

"How was Marta when you told her you had to leave?" Edward asked after they'd been sitting there for some time.

Alphonse cracked a small smile, "as well as could be expected. I promised to come back, and she knows I'll keep my word. But she understood that I needed to come home and be here until Roy was in the clear for recovering."

Silently, Edward breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried about what Al's leaving might cause. After all, his brother had told him about the Marta from Amestris kidnapping him. Not that he expected a baker to kidnap his brother, but you could never be sure in these times and where matters of the heart were involved. "I'm happy for you two, you know. I mean… right now I hurt too much to feel happy, but I really am."

"I know." Al said and squeezed his brother's shoulder in reassurance.

The two of them sat there quietly on and off as they waited. Every minute feeling like an hour. Both staring straight ahead at Roy whose only movement remained the rise and fall of his chest. Yet Edward took some measure of comfort in it… that Roy was still steadily breathing despite the shallowness of it.

It was another three hours before Riza finally came back.

Her stride was quick, in her hand a long syringe filled with some sort of liquid. She marched right up to Roy, and leaned over both Elrics to grab one of Roy's arms. "Explanations in a minute…" she said as she injected the substance in the syringe in smoothly.

Edward and Al exchanged glances, but remained quiet. Both waiting with bated breath for different reasons for the same answer. And when Riza was finally done with giving Roy whatever was contained in the syringe, she had two sets of eyes staring at her with that unnerving look both of them seemed able to pull off.

She shook it off, "good news first, or bad news?" Riza asked with a bit of a smirk.

Edward looked from Roy, to her, and frowned. "There's bad news?"

"Good news." Alphonse said quickly, firmly. Knowing that his brother couldn't take much more of anything bad without having some sort of good to help soften the blow.

Riza capped the syringe which she'd need to dispose of in the nearest biohazard bin once she got back to Sudan. "What Roy had is treatable, I just gave him the vaccine for it. Luckily his case was not nearly as advanced as I might have expected from his current state. He should be awake by tomorrow morning, the vaccine just needs time to circulate through his system."

"But what did he have?" Edward pried immediately, almost frantically. What the hell had happened to his Roy to make him cough up blood and collapse like that?

"That's where the bad news comes in." Riza sighed, and pulled two other syringes out of a pocket. "He has… will have had, tuberculosis. Which means we all get nice little preventative shots." And she waggled them back and forth. "So who's first? I've already done myself."

"What about anyone he's come into contact with lately?" Edward asked, already sticking out his left arm while rolling up his sleeve. The knowledge that Roy would be okay hadn't exactly sunk in yet… he was still overwhelmed that Roy had had something so dangerous. Still overwhelmed that the only bad news was that he was going to have to- "Ow!"

Riza smiled at him. "Did I forget to mention there'd be a pinch?"

Edward scowled at her.

Alphonse laughed, up until the point Riza jabbed him as well and gave him his own shot.

Edward slowly rolled his sleeve back down, and looked over at Roy. "So… he'll be okay?" He asked hopefully, emotionally.

"Yes. Just be glad you called me when you did." Riza smiled, and then it grew grim. "And that the vaccine for it was recently released. As for anyone else, I'm sure they'd go to the hospital if they start feeling ill." She covered a sleepy yawn with one hand, she'd been up all night and jet lag was killing her. "I'm going to go get some rest now… do you mind?"

Edward shook his head silently.

Alphonse smiled at her gratefully. "We'll be fine… thank you."

As soon as Riza was gone, Edward had leaned over to hug the unconscious man tightly as silent tears slipped down his face. "I love you…" he whispered over and over again to the man.

Roy was going to live. He'd been vaccinated against ever getting the sickness again once he was healed. And as the elation, weariness, lingering pain, and everything else hit him, he could do nothing but cling to Roy and try to sort himself out of his emotional mess.

And Alphonse could see that his brother was trying to stop his crying. Silent crying that had made even Al need to brush away tears. And deciding quickly, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't… you need this. For once, brother… allow yourself to not be strong."

Edward couldn't seem to verbally answer. He only crawled carefully over Roy to settle beside him on the bed, still silently crying out everything, and clung back to his lover. He buried his face in Roy's chest as his body shook.

Alphonse carefully pulled one of the blankets up and over his brother and Roy before climbing up beside Edward. "Just cry… fuck knows anyone would understand." He said quietly and began to gently stroke up and down his brother's back. Much like Edward had done for him when they were but children and he'd had a bad dream. It had calmed him, and eventually caused him to fall back asleep. Which was what he was trying to do for Edward. His brother needed sleep.

And Edward cried. They were tears of many emotions. But foremost, tears of joyful relief. And he cried until he couldn't any longer… until he fell asleep there clinging to Roy.

Alphonse made sure Edward was asleep before he carefully got out of the bed. Wiping at his own eyes to remove the last of his own tears, he shook his head with a bit of a smile. "If Roy ever asks if I cried over him, or cried at all watching that… I am lying my ass off." He decided, and made his way out of the room. Closing the door to it quietly, he made his way to the library.

He needed to keep an eye on Riza's door… she could not be allowed to walk in on his brother in Roy in such a way.

So he grabbed a book, and curled up on one of the couches to read.


	42. Chapter 42

Koorii: Al was awesome XD. He is the -man- in that chapter. And oooo... a trail of Twix. I am now a happy Windy.

Elle: Yes, it will definitely be rough. But he has Roy to take care of him. And no, you are definitely not the only one who thought about them together. XD

Infinity: Happily ever after... goodness knows that Ed and Roy definitely want that after all I put them through.

GreedxEd: I was thinking the same thing way before you... but maybe it's because I knew Raymond was a good guy when everyone else still wanted to disembowel him. Argue with that! XD .... and no sending me to the couch.

haganeno: Yes, Ed was given the vaccine as well to prevent him from contracting it. And Al... but yes, Al is a very big help right now.

GiftBasket: Now I wouldn't want that! No, Roy didn't die. -pets him-

amlf: Red head bishie... got it -sorts through them and tosses random ones at you-

Mary: I hope your new laptop works. It's always a gamble with the things. Which is why I love warranties.

Shinimegami: Ed just would have made some wisecrack about how hard his muscles are.

kazuko: The first one you've read? And you've gotten through this far? I must be doing something right, so yay! That makes me so happy. As for your question, I do not mind off-topic things, but yes, I do love lemons and chocolate. Coffee not so much. But I eat lemons whole, rind and all. And I have frozen containers of lemon juice in my freezer to eat.

Lamia: Al and Riza were definitely a good distraction for Ed. If they'd been all depressed as well, it wouldn't have made things any better at all.

Gaara: Roy did promise... and yay! Cookies! I wuv you!

copycat: Well, all I can say right now about Ed's reaction, is that it will be very interesting for everyone involved.

Sailor Silver Rose: We definitely are all crazy. But that's why we all get along XD. I could send you the leftover steaks... they were yummy. As long as you're trying not to lurk, that's what counts. I like hearing from everyone, and when people disappear I worry about them. I get attached easily I guess. But I definitely understand the hectic life thing getting in the way.

moonstone: Careful with the phone XP. Or I'll have to start putting up disclaimers about possible phone deaths.

Koneko: You want Al? I'll ship him to you inside a cake.

Cheru-chan: Yay! I'm adored again. -huggles- And yes, you go check out that Roy/Raymond business. Frisky little rabbits that they are.

* * *

I was surprised at how long cleaning the entire apartment actually took. Not that it took long with the cleaning part. But organizing? Entirely different story. And I finally went through the last of my dad's things... I feel a lot better now that I've gotten those boxes out of sight. So now I finally get to update! Even though I really want a shower, I think I'm caked in dust here.

I was playing animal photographer last night, and I got a picture of two of my cats sleeping together. But it looked sort of like Muffin was sitting on top of Cloud's back... so I got a picture of that... and then I got a table knife from the kitchen and put it in her two front paws so it looked like she was about to stab him. Do not ask why I did this beyond the fact it's hilarious. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not violent in the least. But I have a few funny shots of them like that.

The vote for the next story is (and I'm laughing my butt off at this), tied between three stories. So either people who haven't voted need to, or I get to choose. And as for the sequel to Believe In Me, I have not abandoned it. It has a title, and about 200 pages finished so far. I'm just waiting until after this next story to put it up so I make sure I allow myself plenty of time to give it the attention it needs.

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter Forty Two

"_I know bullets from the gun I gave Edward were fired… what is going on?"_

Roy's expression turned serious as well at the question. What was going on? Was it really so simple to explain the events of the past few days and have them truly be understood for what they were? Was it possible to explain them without explaining the catalysts that began them? Catalysts he didn't even really know.

When no answer was quickly forthcoming, Raymond continued. "I gave that gun to him to protect him when I could no longer be there to do so. For some reason now in death, I can sense that he's fired it."

"You must be attached somehow to it… some strange link." Roy murmured, latching eagerly onto something else that was easier for him to puzzle out. "But it's nothing I've not seen before. Sometimes alchemists leave their own sort of mark on things they do… you're not an alchemist, but I am. So perhaps you were able to link yourself to it somehow. I wouldn't know how… but it's the only logical reasoning I can give."

"It was my favorite gun… and the only thing I could give to him." Raymond said, momentarily distracted by the, to him, illogical logic. "He was actually willed everything else I ever owned… not that anyone else would be able to get into my house. Edward's the only one who has the key… if he still has it. But no one else would dare go into the home of England's greatest disgrace."

Roy caught the bitter eye roll, but knew Raymond was at peace with what he'd done. "He's never mentioned a key… but then again, he never mentioned the gun either."

"Well," Raymond smiled wryly, "if he still has it and you two ever go there, do me a favor and help yourself to the wine. It needs drinking by now I'm sure. I'd hate for it to turn to vinegar, I paid quite a lot for that wine."

Roy chuckled, and gave him a small nod. He'd remember. "As for the bullets…" he shook his head slowly. "I can only tell you what I know, as there's obviously history here I don't know. History that only you would know, so you'll have to fill in some blanks for yourself."

Raymond nodded fractionally. He could do that. He may have spent all those years in prison, but they'd done nothing to dim his memories. Everything in those years leading up to his chosen incarceration he remembered vividly.

"Alice hired Kedder to kill Edward so she could get me. Apparently since you were no longer available, I was the next best choice for obvious reasons." Roy scowled, and Raymond looked only slightly amused. "Why did you ever tell that man about the tunnel under Edward's house anyway?" He asked suddenly, feeling a rush of annoyance. Though he was sure that Raymond had never expected that such a thing could happen.

Raymond's eyes narrowed, "what exactly did Kedder do?"

"Well this latest thing was a komodo dragon he sent into the tunnel. It crawled up on the house side and went Edward Hunting." Roy explained. "Edward shot it dead, but what the hell were you thinking sharing information like that with him?!"

With a short laugh, Raymond shook his head. "Kedder used to be trustworthy… sane. But I didn't tell him about it."

"Edward said you must have."

Raymond hummed, and his eyebrows raised in a gesture of slight annoyance. Though he wasn't annoyed at either Roy of Edward. "I never mentioned that tunnel to anyone after Edward told me about it. The only way Kedder could know about the tunnel is because Briarwood was built by the same group of builders. Builders who always secretly attached tunnels. There are only a few estates in the country that have them… if Kedder put two and two together, than he'd know about the possibility of a tunnel. And know pretty much where to look. They were always built to exit within a certain distance of the back gate to the property."

"Wouldn't that make it easily known then?" Roy frowned.

"Yes." Raymond agreed. "If you're one of maybe three people still alive who know it was the same group of builders. Kedder is one, I'm another, and the only other people who might know aren't exactly in the position to want to piss Edward off."

"Or Nitro." Roy mumbled to himself under his breath.

"Tell him to install a lock on the other side… or have it moved." Raymond suggested. "But I didn't tell Kedder. Ever."

Roy sighed, "I will… but Edward plans to go after Kedder and kill him anyway."

Raymond smiled wryly, "I always sensed he had that sort of side to him. His temper was always an indication. But I've never known him to actually kill someone… though from what you tell me of his true past, he's quite accustomed to it."

"He hates killing," Roy agreed, "but he'll do it when he knows he has no other choice."

With a worried look cast toward the ground, Raymond finally said, "as long as he's careful."

"That's what I told him." Roy rolled his eyes.

Raymond let out a slow, heavy sounding sigh, and carded a hand back through his hair. "Edward has always had enemies… people wanting him dead. I'm sure I'm still the same way to many people, even in death. It's why I gave him that gun. It was my best… and I always protected him as best I could. I just never thought that Kedder would actually make good on his promises to kill Edward. Especially being convinced into it by Alice. Of the many things I consider impossible, that was one of them." He laughed shortly, "but it seems a lot of my views are being proven one way or the other today."

Roy caught the look Raymond swept over him, "why would you believe Kedder would never try to kill him. Even after he promised he would?"

"Because," Raymond answered with a nostalgic gleam in his eyes, "Edward saved Kedder's life. When Kedder was a war prisoner, way after his mind had been broken, Edward was the one who managed to convince the air force bombers that were going to obliterate the enemy stronghold to wait until the few prisoners, Kedder among them, were rescued. If it wasn't for Edward convincing them they should go against orders, he'd be dead. And Edward nearly lost his job over it."

"But he knew it was the right thing to do…" Roy mused quietly, "he has never cared about himself. Only does what's best for everyone else. Puts himself last."

Raymond smiled fondly, and nodded. "He's a lot like you and I. Which is why we put him first… why he would put us first. Because we give each other what we never save for ourselves."

"Yes…" Roy agreed, knowing how true it was. "But Kedder obviously doesn't seem to care about Edward being the reason he wasn't blown up. Not anymore. When did he make those promises to kill Edward?"

"Around the time it was decided I would live on in hated infamy." Raymond replied with another roll of his eyes. He wouldn't change what he'd done. He'd done it for the right reasons. But he had hoped that perhaps it wouldn't have made him so well known. His one peace right now came from knowing that his body rested in an unmarked grave… lest his tombstone be subjected to the insults that could be written over whatever lackluster inscription it would have been given.

"So he's had a long time to stew then locked up by himself and with his animals." Roy didn't like the sound of the man any more than he already did. But there was little he could do. Edward would refuse his help. And even if there had been a chance before of him convincing Edward to let him go with, after his collapse, he knew all chances had been erased.

Raymond shook his head, "but Alice… it sounds like she's gotten worse since I last had the unfortunate case of being in her presence."

"Oh, undoubtedly." Roy grumbled, and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's like I was her last hope for everything. Couldn't lose a second chance at… either you or I. Clearly she was only after us for a certain look."

"Would that be the sexy look? Or the underfed pirate look?" Raymond grinned at him teasingly.

Roy glowered at him, and reached out to smack him on the side of the head. "Oh shut up, Raymond."

Raymond winked at him, "my apologies." And he rubbed at his head, still smiling. "So what does Edward plan to do to Alice?"

"He already has." Roy couldn't help but still feel elated about it. "He pulled something he would have done as an alchemist. Created some chaos, and used Fane to get Alice to confess to trying to have him killed in front of quite a few people. She was shipped off to some convent by her father a few days ago."

"Well," Raymond snickered to himself, "let's hope that holds her. But it is oh so fitting."

Roy chuckled, and certainly hoped never to see the future nun again. But after his laughter cleared, he frowned a bit as he thought about something… debating whether or not he should. "Can I ask you something a bit personal?" He finally asked, deciding it was the best way to go about this.

Raymond shrugged, and waved a hand in permission. "Please. I asked you plenty."

"Why Edward?" And before Raymond could answer, added, "I mean… why him? Out of anyone."

Raymond gazed at Roy for some time in silence, before he finally cracked a small smile. "If I'm right, you had plenty of people you could have chosen from as well. Right?"

"Yes."

"And you chose Edward same as I." Raymond pointed out, "so our reasons can't be that different. Circumstances that brought about the reasons, sure. I can see how those would be different. So for me... it wasn't quite love at first sight. I thought him a bit odd at first… and now I know the reason why he looked at me like that when he first saw me. Why he barely seemed able to pull his head together to talk to me. But once he relaxed… once he began to let me know him for who he really was, instead of who he was supposed to be at work… I couldn't imagine being away from him." Walking over to one of the pillars, Raymond slumped down against it to sit down. "We started working together on that project that was the eventual ruin of me, and I fell for him. Body and soul. You can't put names to what I feel for him… they're all grossly inadequate. But being with him felt more right than being with another person should feel."

Roy walked over to sit down beside him, and laid a hand on the man's knee. "For whatever it's worth… if none of this-" he waved a hand around to encompass them both and where they were, "-had happened… I would have been happy for you two if you'd had the chance to be together. As much as I love him… like you… I can't find it in me to be jealous of you."

Raymond gave him a tired looking smile, "because you like me? Or because we're practically the same person… a reflection you called me."

"Both." Roy admitted.

"I suppose I can finally rest in peace again… knowing he'll be okay. As long as he has my gun, and has you…" Raymond's head tilted a little as he considered Roy, "then he'll be okay. And happy. Just remember what you need to do. As much as I'd like to say that it would be nice to have been able to know you better… I know that there's no possibility we could know each other better. It's just knowing ourselves. And besides, I'm not sure Edward can take any more of this."

Roy shook his head, "no. He's been broken in life too many times. He's resilient… but I agree. He can't take much more before he may not be able to bounce back. The things he's been through… you really can't imagine. You would have had to grow up in the place we did to begin to understand. He needs to spend the rest of his life away from pain."

Raymond regarded the man sitting beside him with a feeling of fondness that although there were no words to describe its existence, it was there. "You care for him as much as I do. So I know that as long as he has you, he'll be fine."

"I always do my best by him. Always try to make sure he knows he's loved. As did you." Roy replied thoughtfully. In some ways, he felt that he'd been bested by Raymond. Yet he knew that given the chance, he'd have done the same. So he could hardly find it in him to believe that they were separated by anything as trivial as who had proved themselves more.

Raymond slowly nodded, and then reached out to take Roy's hand in his. "It's about time you go back to him. I can feel our time is about up."

Knowing he should be elated about that, Roy couldn't help but feel at a loss as well. A loss tied to Raymond. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Raymond laughed softly. "As you pointed out earlier, I'm dead. There is nothing for me. My time to have something "up next" is gone. No one to go back to. "

"Is there nothing I can do for you? I mean… it's because of me you're dead." Roy reminded him in a tone laced with guilt.

Raymond squeezed the hand he still held. "You've already promised to tell Edward the truth for me. That's truly all I need. I do not mind being dead… and while prison was better than I deserved… this _is_ what I deserved. So don't feel guilty about it. If anything, I should be thanking you."

"But what you did was right, how can you believe you deserved to die for it?!" Roy asked him, his gaze searching Raymond's face.

Raymond's smile was thin, and he huffed a mirthless laugh behind closed lips. "If you'd seen the way Edward looked at me the first time we saw each other again after it all… you'd understand. I know what I did was the right thing, and just because I wouldn't change my choice to do the right thing and take the secret of the truth to my grave save that letter, doesn't mean that I can't accept the punishment I know I deserve for making that choice."

Roy was silent for a time, and then a sigh slipped past his lips as he shook his head. "I would have done the same… though without knowing how Edward looked at you, I can't say I'd agree with the dying thing."

"And I pray he never has cause to look at you that way." Raymond replied softly. "Protect him. He is precious to us both."

"I will." Roy promised, and knew he would. He'd protect Edward with everything that he was, take care of him. And not just for Raymond… or himself… or even Edward alone… but for all of them together.

"If you truly feel that you should do something for me, then there is one thing." Raymond said after a moment of afterthoughts, and he focused his eyes on Roy again with an almost wistful smile.

Roy nodded, quite sure in his decision. "Name it."

Raymond considered him thoughtfully for a moment more. "I always loved him. So I want you to give Edward a kiss from me."

"What?" Roy's brow furrowed slightly in his confusion.

Raymond merely smiled, "you'll understand soon enough." He replied reassuringly, and knowing he needed to do this fast if he were to do it at all, he darted one hand up to seize the back of Roy's neck and quickly leaned in to lightly brush their lips together. He pulled away just as fast and licked his lips with a smile. "Understand now?"

Roy blinked at him, wide-eyed, before he smiled back. "I understand. You died to save his life, I can at least do this."

"Thank you." Raymond smiled, his eyes gentle as they regarded Roy.

"I'll make sure I kiss him for you. But I am blaming you if he hits me for a chaste kiss like that." Roy rolled his eyes. "Though I'd have probably had to hit you if you were considering wanting to do anything but."

Raymond smirked, "I figured as much."

Roy smirked back at him. "Well, just because I wouldn't be jealous of you, doesn't mean I'm not protective and possessive about him."

"I'd be angry with you if you weren't." Raymond told him frankly, and drew his hand away from Roy's at last. Leaning back up more against the pillar he watched Roy with his own brand of affection that was meant only for his mirror image. "You'd best lie down… you're starting to glitter. Which means you're going back soon."

Roy looked down at himself, startled by Raymond's words, and saw that he was indeed glittering faintly at the edges. "You-?"

"Whatever luck I had, may it go to you. Edward needs you… go back to him." Raymond interrupted him kindly.

Roy never had a chance to respond as a wave of blackness overtook him once more.

Raymond watched with smile still in place as Roy faded away from sight until it was as if he'd never been there. "And now, may I rest in peace." He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the sense of relaxation wash over him, feeling what he'd been longing for this entire time he'd been dead.

Peace.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

The evening passed by for Edward as if time were running backwards instead of forwards. Such was how long it felt for dinner to be eaten, and a check on Roy by Riza to be done. Dinner had been a special sort of pain for Edward as he tried his best to converse with his brother and Riza. But his heart wasn't really in it. Although he knew now that Roy would be okay, he was still suffering. Which didn't make sense to him.

If his dinner guests noticed his distracted state of mind, and he was sure they did, they made no mention of it. For which he was very grateful.

After dinner, and Riza's examination of Roy, the woman again retired to bed as she was still trying to get over her jet lag. Leaving Alphonse with Edward and Roy.

Edward had immediately climbed into the bed beside Roy as soon as Riza had gone. And Alphonse had curled up in the armchair at the bedside.

"I'll stay up… make sure she doesn't come in." Al reassured his brother, knowing that he'd rather forsake sleep so his brother could be comforted by Roy's nearness, than get a few hours of rest while they were forced to be apart so Riza wouldn't see anything she shouldn't.

"Thanks… Al." Edward said tiredly as he spooned up against Roy. "I'll be better once he wakes up."

"I know." Alphonse smiled. "You're exhausted emotionally, and for good reason. You've always taken care of me… it's time I repay the favor."

"But you never felt useless or helpless, did you?" Edward wondered as he gazed across the dark room at his brother.

Alphonse tilted his head a bit as he considered the question, and thought back. "I wouldn't call it that… but I did often feel like I was holding you back. I know you'd say that I wasn't, and I believe you. But you never had a chance to really experience any other sort of life before that. Neither of us did. So yes, I felt like I was holding you back. But look at me now… I'm a bit more than a talking suit of armor these days."

Edward smiled faintly. "Now I just need to wait for my own salvation." And his fingers traced circles along Roy's chest. "Being in love is the hardest thing to ever go through… but it's worth it when you have the right person."

"If love were meant to be easy, you would have been shagging Roy when we were teenagers." Al grinned at him, and quietly began to laugh.

"So true…" Edward muttered loud enough to be heard. "Things could have turned out very different for us all."

Alphonse only laughed some more, and kicked his legs over the arm of the chair while nestling in against the juncture between the other arm and the back. "Yes… but honestly, I wouldn't have things any other way than they are now. Everything beyond you and me, and Roy, and the people, it's just geography. The grass may not always be greener, but it's still grass. And we might as well enjoy it like we've been doing."

"Do you think Riza suspects us?" Edward asked after a few moments of silence between them.

"You and Roy?"

"Mmm."

Alphonse looked towards the door, and then back at his brother. "Nothing is ever certain with that woman, in either world. If she doesn't know, than perfect. But if she does… we both know that she won't go around broadcasting it. She holds you in too high of a regard to do anything but keep it to herself."

Edward knew that to be true… but he still worried. "I don't care if people know. I mean, I love who I love. But there are just some things I'd like to avoid having to deal with as well."

"Which is fair." Alphonse agreed, "you've been through a lot already in this messed up country. Messed up planet really. I certainly don't blame you for wanting to not bring more upon yourself. And keep this part of our secret lives a secret."

"I think Roy understands as well…" Edward mused through a yawn. "He's never asked… I've never said… but I think he feels like I do about it."

"He most likely does. He always was good at reading you." Alphonse smiled at the memories of all the times his brother would come away from a meeting with the man fuming about how Roy always seemed to know everything he was up to. Edward had always blamed it on Roy not trusting him, or some other nonsense. But it really was none of that… it was just Roy being Roy. And the man looked after the people he cared for, whether in matters of the heart, or colleagues at work.

"How good are you at reading Marta?" Edward suddenly inquired with a Cheshire cat sort of grin.

Alphonse actually felt himself flush. "Very good, actually. She was a bit freaked out by it at first I think… a bit unsure of me… but not anymore."

"I never met the other Marta… I'd like very much to meet this one if you ever bring her home to visit." Edward told him. And he very much did want to meet her. She knew how special she was to Al, not just the past one, but the present one as well. And for that, he knew that he'd enjoy meeting the woman who had claimed his brother's affections. "Do you know yet?"

"Know what?" Alphonse asked curiously.

"Whether or not you love her." Was the blunt reply.

Al smiled secretively, and closed his eyes. "You'll never know before she does."

Edward chuckled, and closed his own eyes as he relaxed against Roy. Though his hands held tightly to the man, as if afraid he'd vanish. "I love you, Al."

"Love you too." Alphonse opened his eyes to look over at him. "Now get some sleep."

Before long, Edward was asleep, and Alphonse watched his brother's breathing even out into a steady rhythm. One that gradually began to match Roy's. It seemed that the sickness was already leaving Roy, judging by the man's fuller looking breaths. And he was eternally glad of it. "You gave him quite a scare, Mustang." He said quietly into the darkness of the room. "Seeing him here with you now… it actually scares me to think of what would have happened to brother if you hadn't been able to be cured."

Watching them closely, and trying not to think about what might have been, Alphonse settled in to pass the night away keeping a close eye on the both of them. And keep an ear out for Riza. But really, he could think of no better way to pass the time, than keeping watch over the two of them. It gave him an odd sense of fulfillment, and happiness.

But all the same, he was waiting for the morning… and what it might bring.


	43. Chapter 43

Koorii: Our mental link needs to be examined. Raymond and I now love you dearly for our gifts of companions and candy.

GiftBasket: Maybe you are psychic... though these past few days shouldn't count against you. I've been meaning to update and haven't had any time to get online.

moonstone: Not Armstrong! RUN! Edward will be doing thumping, but I shant tell you who he'll be thumping later. And Al really is cute. He's the sweetest thing ever, but a fierce little thing.

Shinimegami:Yes, Ed's reaction shall be priceless that's for sure. It's not everyday Roy wakes up and tells him something like that.

GreedxEd: I'm trading that couch in for a bed and hiding the receipt. Bloody seemed to think it was a good idea when I mentioned it to her ages ago.

Gaara: The pictures are hilarious. I'll have to post links once I get them up.

amlf: Oooo someone is a Raymond/Roy enjoyer XD. I don't blame you...

Mary: Two Roy's are very yummy, yes. And your blabbings are welcome. Mostly because I can agree. I definitely like all three of them as being together, that I will never deny. I hope your hp works out, that's what I have. Though it's issues are not really it's fault. The repair place kept sending it back broken another way.

Lizche: There's nothing wrong with a bit of impatience... it makes me have evil laughs.

E: Yeah, you're the most indecisive of the lot, dear. I'll show you those pictures as soon as I can.

Tana: It's okay that you forgot... at least I know now that you read it XD. And ah... I love height jokes.

haganeno: Easy now, don't hyperventilate.

kazuko: You've done a lot of reading for sure. I'm glad that you must have enjoyed them all to keep reading them. I'll have to write a lot more to keep you with something to read at least once a day. Yes... Roy has to swoop in and make things all better for Ed and drop the bomb of a lifetime on everything Ed thinks he knows. Should be fun! XD

copycat: I'd like to see an actual anime episode of that.

Cheru-chan: Aww he is. And write more of which... the kiss? The smut? I know you read both XD. Or something different entirely?

PaperBagGhost: Thank you!

Akira: A whole chocolate CAKE?! Where are my Word docs?! -runs around frantically-

Lamia: Al is a good brother, Ed is very lucky to have him. I wish Al were my brother...

Isabelle: More food! Yes! Ehm... the show that scared the crap out of me as a kid... x-files. Seriously, I couldn't sleep with the lights turned off for about a week after one episode. And my cats all have weird random names. Muffin, Cloud, Zippy, and Cookie. Only remember the reason for Cloud and Zippy's names... the other two I haven't the faintest idea. But Cloud looks like a cloud, and Zippy dashes everywhere like a jumping maniac.

mutantpenguins: Brownies, yay! And really, you have no clue how much crap you own and don't use until you actually find it. It's kind of alarming.

Sailor Silver Rose: Glad to know it's not just me then who worries. And no, I couldn't resist the Raymond and Roy kiss. No one could make me XD. But you're right... I think most people enjoyed it enough to forgive me.

* * *

So I am finally able to get to a computer again. Though really my time without one has not been wasted. Got a lot of writing done... reread my favorite book... watched Mamma Mia about 30 times. Oh, and yes, school was in there somewhere.

The vote is now untied. Though I am still accepting them. I will be up until oh, say... Sunday. And then you all get your results and I get to break out the saki.

My laptop should be back either today or tomorrow... should be. -snorts- I've heard that before. But bad news is that somehow the OS (Vista) got corrupted and I need to restore the whole computer. How fortunate that before I sent it in I backed up everything I needed onto my external hard drive and several flash drives. So I won't lose any stories, thank goodness.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Forty Three

Sometime during the course of the night for Alphonse, in between his getting up and walking around the upper floor of the chateau to be sure he wasn't inclined to fall asleep, and ensconcing himself in the armchair at Roy's bedside, he finally noticed something out of place. Something he hadn't noticed until he'd flopped like that back down into the chair at that perfect angle. But it most definitely did not belong in an unused bedroom. For he had no illusions that his brother and Roy shared his brother's room.

So straightening where he sat, he leaned across the short distance to take hold of the faint shine of metal glinting at him in the faint moonlight that fell past the curtains. And as he held it before him, his eyes widened in shock and he nearly dropped what it was he held.

"What the-"

He cut off, and immediately looked from what he held, to Edward, and then back to his finding. He recognized this… this revolver. But how the…? He knew that this gun was not his brother's. He knew the owner of this weapon… had known him. As well as anyone had thought they knew him. But he couldn't fathom a reason why Raymond would part from his favored gun. The man had had a great attachment to the weapon, and never would have parted from its company. So how the hell had his brother gotten it?!

And for that matter… he knew that Edward had to know who the pistol belonged to. If _he_ had recognized it instantaneously, than there was zero chance that his brother had no clue as to the gun's owner. So why did his brother have it? If Edward needed a weapon, which right now he could understand why his brother might, than despite the countries policy on weapons, his brother could have easily gotten a gun same day as he asked for one. So why this one? Instead of something that wasn't connected to so many painful memories.

Alphonse frowned down at the innocent weapon as it glittered up at him. "If only you could talk to me…" he whispered, running a hand along the cool metal, "but you're silent for some reason. Your metal has no voice… nothing to tell me why you're here." It was almost disconcerting to the man who had spent most of his juvenile and adult life being able to understand metallic things as if they had voices of their own. And to him, they did… for he'd been like them once.

He knew how to listen… and this gun he held was silent.

"Just like your owner." Alphonse finally said, and set the gun back with a repressed shudder. "Dead."

The remainder of the night he actively avoided looking anywhere near the vicinity of that gun. Whatever Edward's reasons were for having it… its presence unnerved him.

It was just cracking dawn over the horizon when Edward began to stir in the bed. And Alphonse looked over at him to watch as his brother stirred awake slowly at first, and then seemed to jolt awake as if electrocuted.

Edward scrambled into a seated position, his hands planted firmly on the bedspread to either side of the man he'd been sleeping up against. His heart beat faster, his breath keeping pace. "Did he wake up, at all?!" He asked quickly, even before the customary yawn could be achieved. Much less a good stretch. Those things were farthest from his mind right now.

"No." Alphonse spoke softly, a lingering effect from staying quiet the entire night coupled with his well-hid exhaustion. "But he breathes easier."

Edward did notice, and with an exhaled breath heavy with relief. "It's working then… he's coming back to me."

Alphonse smiled wearily, but gladly. "You have your own gravity, brother." He said as he got to his feet. "It's hard for people to leave you... especially those who want to stay."

Edward looked up at his brother, "where are you going then?"

"To intercept Riza. I have a feeling that if you're awake, she will soon be as well." He replied, already heading towards the open door to the room. "I'd get moving were I you. I am only one man, and against Riza Hawkeye on a mission? No matter her profession, that's a scary and most likely suicidal task."

Edward felt the corner of his mouth twitch in a smirk as his brother turned out of the room. "But you _are_ my brother… that's gotta count for something." And looking down at Roy, he felt his expression soften. "Wake up soon… I never thought I'd have a craving for just a simple hug… but… yeah." He shook his head, and leaned down to press a kiss to Roy's sleeping lips before he carefully climbed out of bed. He needed to go have a shower and get dressed before he schooled himself into being "just the friend".

Just as Edward vanished into his own room, as predicted by the caramel blond leaning against the banister out of what would have been his guest room had he gotten any sleep at all since coming here, the door to where Riza slept opened wide.

"Roy's not awake yet." He told her as he moved forward to intercept the woman, even though Edward had already made it out of the room and into his own. "But his breathing is a lot easier. I checked on him as soon as I got up this morning."

Riza nodded, already pulling on examination gloves. "Then let's go see how the rest of him is faring."

Inwardly, Al was congratulating himself on his exceptional acting skills. If he was able to trick a highly qualified doctor into thinking he'd slept the night before, than he was too good for his own good. "Hopefully just fine." He responded, and followed her to the room. "He's been our friend since… well," he smiled melancholically, "a long time ago. Decades."

Riza smiled at that, and walked over to the bedside as Al moved the armchair out of her way. "I can tell he means a lot to the both of you. Almost like family?"

"Most certainly." Alphonse agreed without hesitation. Roy was as close to another brother as he ever hoped to achieve. Nothing against his true brother of course. And one day he hoped that secretively, Roy might just become his brother through a marriage to Edward. But he was getting ahead of himself considering the situation right now.

"It's nice to have people like that." Riza said as she began. "People who care about you… it makes the sick want to get better. Keeps their will strong. I think that it may have something to do with how well he's held on considering his physical condition and his contracting of the tuberculosis for however long it was."

Al gazed at the man, whose color was looking better as well. At least, now that he could tell due to the weak morning sunlight. "He's always had a strong will to succeed in whatever it is he feels he must do. And I sincerely doubt that dying was on his to-do list."

"Did he know his half-brother?" Riza asked once she'd finished taking the man's temperature.

Having walked over to one of the windows to throw open the shades completely, Alphonse looked back over at her. "No. I never really knew my half-brother either though. He and I, and Edward… we're similar in so many ways. Linked together by so many shared memories, feelings, thoughts. What place was there in our lives at the end of all this for Raymond?"

"You and Edward have a half-brother too?" Riza asked in surprise. It was the first she'd ever heard of it.

Alphonse grunted as he walked back over. "He's dead. He was a real piece of work though, I'll tell you that much. Tried killing both Edward and I more than once." He didn't make mention, obviously, that Envy had succeeded in that killing of Edward once.

"How'd he die?"

"A mix between a sacrifice and a murder by some real interesting piece of work people themselves. But it's all behind us now." Alphonse shrugged. There were just some family members you could live with not knowing.

Riza's expression was something centered between amused, and grim. "Strange time we all live in right now. When we can speak so lightly of such things."

"The time never changes." Alphonse disagreed as he sat back into the armchair. "The people in it do."

Riza was left clueless on how to respond to that, so she merely didn't. Instead she drew away from her examination of Roy looking pleased. "He seems to be coming along just fine. A few more hours perhaps… he's dreaming right now. Which means he's close to being able to awaken."

Al looked over at Roy's face, and saw that the eyes under the closed lids were moving just enough to be noticed. Moving as the man's mind dreamt. And he wondered what sort of dream one had after an experience as Roy had just been through. Was it a good dream? One filled with peace and loving warmth? Or one of darkness brought on by the near death line that had been walked. "Then I best go start making a big breakfast for us all. Nothing too much for him of course… but I for one could eat my brother out of house and home right now. So I better get on that before I lose my nerve."

Riza grinned at the prospect of seeing the look on Edward's face if his food stores were raided and eaten in one fail swoop by his brother. "I think I can manage to help you with that."

Getting up smoothly from the chair he was now so familiar with – to the point he was suspecting the foam remembered the shape of his butt – he made for the doorway. "Then let us be on our way."

"Your brother?" Riza queried as she followed after him.

"Either still asleep, or in the shower. Either way, if we disturb him he'll try and violently talk me out of cleaning him out of food. And I don't feel like losing a wrestling match to him today." Alphonse sighed dramatically, and waved a hand. "My poor self-confidence can only take so much before it withers away."

Riza snorted at that, "Al, out of all the years I've known you, I've never known you to lack anything. Especially self-confidence."

"I lack the ability to bear children." Al pointed out to her matter-of-factly.

Riza hit him upside the head.

Laughingly, Alphonse led the way to the kitchen… and to paradise and probable cause for his brother to set Nitro on him.

Edward couldn't remember a time before now that he'd been tossed back and forth across the farthest reaches of the spectrum of human emotion as wildly as he had been tossed these past few days. And as he stood here now with the icy chill of cold water washing over him, he knew he was mentally exhausted in a way that left him feeling almost disassociated.

His brother being here helped immensely to keep him grounded. So much so that he wondered what might have become of him had Alphonse not shown up to both take charge of matters, and be there as an anchor.

It had been in these days that had felt the last, that Edward had not only begun to understand and believe that someone could die from a broken heart. But that losing Roy could drive him past the line between sanity and insanity.

Such was his love.

"I'm a mess." He whispered to the mute shower. "But as soon as Roy wakes up… he was able to pull me back together and save me from all that time I'd been split in two for what Raymond did to me… he can pull me back again."

And while a part of him, a part decades younger, might have laughed at or scolded him for his behavior. His weakness. That part of him could now accept that the effects love had on a person could not be predicted or controlled. They could just be guided.

As Roy guided him.

Shutting off the shower, he climbed shivering and slightly blue from out of the stall and began to rub himself vigorously with a towel to warm himself up again. He dressed plainly, in old, well-worn, but decent looking clothes, and headed out of the room.

He looked in on Roy briefly, crossing the room to have a good look. Nothing had changed.

His spirits wavered, but remained where they were. "Tell the Gate you're mine." He whispered, bending down to brush a kiss against one cheek. "It has taken far too much from me already. If it tries to claim you as well… I'm not letting you go without a fight. For whatever I'm worth against it." And straightening he took the pistol from the bedside table and tucked it into his pocket after being sure the safety was on.

He left the room quietly, but hoping the entire way out that Roy would miraculously awake then and there.

But as it was, he soon ended up in the kitchen. He could smell the cooking food, and while the thought of eating made his stomach churn, he knew he needed to eat a little bit of something. Roy would not be pleased with him as it was, the way he'd not been eating well. So he dare not skip breakfast.

When he walked in, and saw all the food Alphonse and Riza were busy cooking, however, he nearly thought better on what it was he dare not do. And quite nearly agreed with a small part of his mind screaming _"flee!"_ at him.

Pancakes, sausages, toast, jam, fruit salad, tomatoes, hash browns, juice, eggs, bacon, and all possible manner of varied condiments aside from the jam were being lined up neatly on the island in the kitchen as they were finished being gotten together.

Alphonse was first to spot him, having heard his brother's footsteps. He was one of two people on this world who he believed could actually hear his brother when he walked, Roy was the other. Anyone not knowing better would have thought that the automail leg would have clumped even a little, but his brother was far too used to it, and far too experienced in moving quietly to be heard by the people on this world. He turned with a welcoming bright smile, stirring mushrooms seasoned with thyme, salt and pepper, and some butter in a pan. "There you are. I made breakfast!"

Edward was relatively sure his jaw was hanging a bit stupidly at the moment, but he didn't care to correct it. In fact, it probably left the desired effect as to his complete bewilderment and rebelling of his stomach. "For the three of us? Or an army regiment?"

"Us three." Alphonse stuck his tongue out. "I happen to be hungry. So maybe this is all just for me. But I may give you my bacon rinds if you ask nicely."

Riza snorted through a burst of a laugh.

"You're so generous…" Edward remarked blandly as he took in the scene again. "And with all my food no less…"

Al winked before turning back to put the pan back on the heat. "I haven't quite decided to do with those steaks yet… or the duck… or whatever is frozen in those other butcher paper packages."

Edward groaned. Whether from the sight of all the food and the effect it was having on his stomach, or Al's words, he wasn't sure. "I guess you'll be figuring it out by lunch then."

"Should have a rough idea." Al agreed wickedly.

"Good, then you can take Riza to the market after lunch and restock me on food. I'll send you with money for it all." He replied, and went to fairly collapse into his customary chair at the table.

Alphonse smiled as he looked over his brother's way. "Do you want receipts?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "No, buy some stuff for you as well."

Al was cheering inside, and Riza was looking highly amused. She had often wondered just how much money Edward made… he lived a relatively modest existence compared to everyone else in the level of his political sphere. It was clearly enough to be able to send his brother out on shopping excursions and not worry. Though she doubted that Al would ever clean out his brother.

"Can I buy a live duck and bring it home?" Alphonse asked with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"To your home, yes. I do not want a duck here. I have plenty of ducks during spring as it is up on the lake. The only thing they're good for is shooting and populating the lake with fish." Edward said as he rested his arms on top of the table.

Riza looked 'round at him. "What sort of fish eggs do they usually bring with them to pollinate your lake?"

"Trout." Edward shrugged, "nothing very special. Although a few times I've run across some tench. I have to clean it out every so often. I have a big net in my garage that I run from one side to the other along the bottom. Bag all the fish and do as I will with them for food. I don't want them staying in the lake and making it all murky."

"Alphonse tells me you have horses now? And I saw your llama."

"Seventeen horses now. One of the mares was pregnant when I took her in. She gave birth not too long ago."

"And I can't wait to see her." Alphonse grinned, and turned off the heat under the pan of now sautéed mushrooms.

Edward smiled faintly, "she's a sweet, pretty thing. But I'm not sure if she'll put in an appearance."

Finishing up with dishing the mushrooms into a serving bowl, Alphonse began to grab plates for the food while Riza poured them glasses of juice. And catching Edward's greenish look at the third glass she filled, she gave him a bracing smile. "You need something a bit more than water right now."

"Ah, yes." Edward agreed weakly, "can't have anything short of colorful puke when I rush up to offend my bathroom."

"Brother!" Alphonse chastised with a shudder, though a half-chuckle passed from his lips.

Riza bore the glasses over, and made sure to thunk Edward's down with a bit more emphasis. "That's right, the world needs more color. Now drink up."

Edward glowered up at her with nothing but an exasperated fondness. "Yep, you're definitely a doctor."

"Of course I am." She winked at him, and went to go dish her own plate of food.

Alphonse had taken charge of dishing for his brother first. As he planned to just drag up a chair and eat straight from the counter of the island and finish off whatever was left. "Would you rather bacon or sausages?"

"Neither." Edward groaned, wrapping one arm around his middle in a protective gesture.

"Give him both." Riza suggested.

"Whose side are you on?!"

Alphonse laughed, and set a single strip of bacon onto the plate. It was bound to have less grease. "Toast with jam?"

Edward sighed silently to himself. He just wasn't winning here, was he. "Toast, no jam." He conceded. "Very dry, dry toast."

Riza grinned, "he sounds like a pregnant woman with morning sickness."

Alphonse let out a soft cheer. "Medical miracle! Get the scalpel, Riza!"

Edward's face found its way into his other hand. "Tomatoes, no mushrooms. No pancake. Few pieces of fruit. I'm not eating anything else."

Alphonse brought the requested items to him with a kindly smile. "That's better." And he grasped his brother's shoulder in one hand with a gentle squeeze. "Eat, slowly. You need it, else you're going to crash hard. And that won't be pretty for anyone."

"It's not going to be pretty for anyone once I bring all this back up." Edward grumbled to himself, and reached for the fork more to give himself something to do with his hands than strangle his brother.

"Art is subjective, dear." Riza said, coming to sit down at the table with him. Not only to eat, but to make sure that Edward ate.

"I'll frame it for you." Edward promised with feigned sweetness.

Alphonse merely laughed at them, and was silently glad that his brother was actually participating in the banter. Albeit a bit unwillingly and not at all happily. But it was hands down better than his brother sitting and not saying a word, shutting down into whatever silent darkness that had most likely consumed him during the hours between Roy's collapse and his arrival back to England. Grabbing a chair, he dragged it over to kneel up on it with a fork in hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" Edward asked immediately.

"Stuffing my face." Alphonse replied in between mouthfuls. "I thought you'd recognize the act, seeing as how you've done it so often yourself."

Edward actually felt a feeling creep through him similar to that which he vaguely remembered caused him to smile. "Shall I fetch you a drop cloth?"

"No need." Was the somewhat muffled reply, "I'm eating it all. I'm famished."

Riza was watching this was studious interest. "Fascinating. So it is possible for men to backtrack back into their teenage year habits."

Edward waved a casual hand. "We never leave them. All these years of doctoring and you never noticed?"

"Want another shot? I'm sure I can find something fun to give you." Riza asked him with a simpering smile.

"Whiskey. Thank you." Edward countered easily, and looked down at his plate of foot with a gloomy expression tinged with green. "Lots of whiskey."

Yet Riza did not seem inclined to go find the whiskey, even when Edward gave her clear directions as to its location. So Edward had to settle for trying to manage his meager meal, despite its overwhelming sway over him, without the aiding affects of strong alcohol. Alphonse was otherwise occupied with the task of "stuffing his face".

Once they finished their breakfast – and for Edward that took many a good minute and more than a few coaxing words – they all headed up to the room where Roy lay in undisturbed sleep. It was there that they all settled around for conversation and to keep vigil over the man who still dreamed.

It was when Riza left the room in order to go use the bathroom attached to her own guest suite, that Alphonse finally broached the question that had been weighing heavily on him more and more as time passed. "Brother… can I ask you something? Anything? And have your word that you won't get angry with me?"

Edward, still gazing at Roy with frozen faithfulness, hummed his acquiescence. "Have I ever been angry with you? I mean, truly angry? …I can't recall that I ever have been."

"Well," Alphonse colored a bit, "no. That was always my specialty…" but he shook his head. That was not the path he wanted to take right now in their short moment of Riza-less time. "Why do you have Raymond's gun?"

Why did he have…?

Edward remained motionless where he sat, his face betraying nothing either to the careful gaze of his younger brother. Until finally, the ice of the silence fractured, and he looked up to meet the dark amber eyes. "He gave it to me." Was the simple response.

That did clear up one question… but it only allowed for others to take its place. Most encompassing of them all, "why?" And Al rigidly held his ground, actually feeling just a bit nervous.

"I don't know." Edward answered immediately, and after a pause he withdrew the weapon from his pocket and held it out on his palm before him. Though he didn't look down at it. "I truly don't. He gave it to me at his sentencing… the last time I ever saw him. He said that he accepted his responsibility. Said that it was all he had left to give. That he hoped it was never needed, but would be enough."

Alphonse linked his fingers together, the tips of them pointing towards his chin. "That could mean any number of things coming from him. From that time."

"Yes." Edward agreed, an edge of bitterness in his voice. "But Raymond knew I had enemies. I guess he never considered himself one." And he looked away from his brother, down to the gun as a heavy sigh rested in his chest.

He had not the energy to be surprised or relieved that he was no longer inflicted with pain at the mere mention of Raymond. And yet there he'd been, speaking about him without pain or active anger. Quietly he accepted that at last, he'd healed. And it was a weight off his shoulders that in this moment of endless seeming waiting for Roy to return to him, that he didn't really notice it lifting. Only that it was gone.

And it felt… comforting.

As strange an emotion as it was to be paired with such an occurrence.

"Why do you keep it?" Alphonse asked, breaking through the reverie of his brother.

Edward's fingers curled about the pistol unconsciously. "Before Roy came here… I'd have said it was because I lacked the guts to dispose of it. For whatever reason I was lacking those guts." His gaze shifted to Roy now. "But now… it's because I'm strong enough to have the memories. I thought I'd want to forget. I _did_ want to forget. But I think the memories make me realize just what I have here with Roy. And I appreciate and love him all the more for it."

Al smiled faintly, and nodded as if accepting all of it. Though truth be told he wasn't sure he'd ever fully understand. "Is that the only thing you have of his?"

"No." Edward said, tone suddenly brisk, and he stashed the gun back into his pocket.

Alphonse's question fell silent on his tongue as he too heard Riza coming back. And silently he vowed to ask his brother at a later time what else it was of Raymond's that was still being held onto.

Riza reentered the room with a smile. "Any changes?"

"No." Edward answered softly, before resuming his watching over Roy.

"If my predictions are right," Riza said as she resumed her perch along the bay window, "and I am usually right, he should be waking within the hour. But definitely by late afternoon."

"So you're wrong enough times to be handing out disclaimers?" Alphonse chided her with a well-meaning smirk.

Riza scowled at him good-naturedly. "This Marta woman must be a saint to put up with you."

Alphonse cracked a grin. "One treats people he thinks of as near family or good friends differently than he treats someone he's dating."

She too cracked a grin. "Which means she gets wine and roses and I get orange juice and instructions on how to make scrambled eggs?"

"Making scrambled eggs is an art." Alphonse argued loftily.

Riza snorted, and waved it off. "So you say. But when Alphonse Elric, the man who doesn't know a spoon from a cutting board, gives you cooking instructions, you know he doesn't care about you. I bet Marta won't let you near her food."

"It's why I didn't have any of the pancakes." Edward pitched his opinion in. "There wasn't much he could mess up with the other stuff I ate."

"You can't blow up scrambled eggs." Al protested weakly.

Riza chuckled amusedly, "but if there was a way, you'd be the first to encounter it. Hence why I did not follow your instructions."

"I thought they tasted nasty."

"Yet you ate them all anyway."

Edward actually rolled his eyes, and felt the beginnings of a smirk wanting to tug at his mouth. Those two… he'd forgotten how much they went back and forth like that sometimes with their easy, laidback friendship. But it was nice to listen to. Edward himself had never really had close friends… and in a way, he envied them a bit for it.

But just a bit…

For he'd had far too much of the entirety of envy in his life… and had been only too glad to see it be extinguished from this world.

So he contented himself with listening to his brother and their friend trade words like racquet balls, and keeping his vigil over his beloved. For however long it took, he would sit here and wait until those expressive dark eyes were open again. Yes… he could wait eons for such a sight.

Add one more thing to his list of things he'd discovered…

How those poets could write such sappy seeming sonnets filled with flowery phrases and still feel like men at the end of the day.

"Please…" Edward whispered beneath his breath, under the cover of the bantering going on around him.

The passage of time seemed indefinable. The chatter around him dimmed to the foreground. It was almost as if he could hear Roy's heartbeat from where he was. He was so focused on the man, that everything else but _him_ faded into shadow.

Until one finger twitched.

All in a single instant, breath fled him, his heart jumped into his throat, and every stimuli in the room came flooding him as he leapt to his feet and crossed the bare one foot distance to hover at the bedside.

"Ed, what is it?" Al asked, both he and Riza now distracted.

"He moved a finger." Edward whispered, not intentionally. It just seemed as if his voice was incapable of going any higher.

"What?" Alphonse was quickly moving towards the other side of the bed.

Riza moved as well towards them.

And a happy gasp caught in Edward's throat, joining the place his heart rested as the whole hand jerked stiffly. "See?!"

Riza did see. "You need to move back for a minute. I need to check his pulse." She said, and after Edward had scooted back and been joined by Al, she sat on the edge of the bed and began to time Roy's pulse. "It's getting a bit faster. He's definitely waking."

And Edward hovered on the edge of something he knew not as he waited without breath for Roy to awaken. When Riza moved back, and her eyes found him, he moved forward to sit himself on the edge of the bed at her request. Not that he was complaining. It was where he wanted to be anyway.

"It'll be best if he sees someone he recognizes when he first wakes up." Riza explained as she stood with Alphonse.

Neither Elric thought to correct her on her opinion that Roy wouldn't recognize her.

For Roy, it felt nothing like he'd expected. This returning to consciousness as Raymond had said he would. He had thought it would be an easy experience, much like his leaving whatever that experience had been with his reflection. A few glitters and _'poof'_, he'd be back and awake. So he was completely unprepared for feeling as if he'd been kicked in the chest by Nitro, or the resulting headache that accompanied it.

"_Edward needs you… go back to him…__"_

The words came back to him like the blow of a hammer, and Roy's eyes shot open as his heart raced with the knowledge of the state his lover was probably in over him.

The first thing he saw, was gold. Beautiful gold, shimmering with unshed tears. "Don't cry…" the words were hoarse in his unused and dry voice, cracking from both emotion and the aforementioned condition.

Edward did the only thing he could do as his voice failed him and the sting of tears grew more persistent. He flung himself down to hug Roy tightly as his eyes clenched against the tears.

Roy's arms felt leaden, but he managed to get them up and around Edward as he felt something inside him break painfully for the tortured blond he now held to him. "On second thought…" he managed to get out quietly through his cracking voice, "cry."

From where he stood with a very confused Riza, Alphonse smiled at the warming sight. And to his chagrin, he realized he was near to crying again as well. "Ah hell." He mumbled under his breath. This is what happened when you actually cared about people so much. It turned grown men into things that leaked water like a broken garden hose. "Come on," he told Riza, and grabbed her by the arm kindly, "before I start crying too."

Riza allowed herself to be led away, though she was still confused. "I've never met more weepy men in my life."

"It's called having a heart, dear." Alphonse told her. "Some men still have one, and have the balls to show it when they can't hold it in any longer." But taking her out of the room and closing the door behind them gave him more than a chance to pull himself together. It gave the two remaining in the room the time alone they surely needed.


	44. Chapter 44

GreedxEd: Aww, leave her out of it. -snuggles Bloody- She is a good neice to me. And give me back my Harry and Sevvie, they're adorable and I need them to cuddle.

Koorii: Oh dear, the OC's are in trouble. That's never pretty. Sugar free ice cream? Is there even a point?

Tana: Thank you. And those two definitely need hugs right now.

copycat: Raymond mentioned it, but it does come into play again more prominently soon enough.

amlf: Don't trip with all that dancing. Otherwise I'll have to send my Doctor Greed to tend to you along with your red-head CPR bishie.

Eli: You made Roy cry. What do you have to say for yourself? XD. And yes, I am still voting. But I got your PM, so I know you found the choices.

mutantpenguins: Why are you so tired? Go get some sleep after the next chapter you silly thing.

kazuko: Yay, chocolate! I have been craving chocolate. Riza and Al debates are fun, I agree with you. It's not so strange sounding at all. I did get your vote yes. And I live in the U.S., in Arizona. And noooo chocolate and lemon fruits sound wonderful!

Isabelle: He has been damaged by me so much... you have no idea. But he always pulls through... somehow.

haganeno: He ties him up so he can't escape, and tells him, followed by molesting him until Ed feels better. ...or something like that XD

Shinimegami: Yes, real men know when to shed tears. I'm so happy you enjoyed the fluffiness. I live off of fluff.

Cheru-chan: Aww -hugs and gives tissues- did I forget my tissue warning? And yay for cookies! ...oh, and while I'm remembering -pesters you- update! XD

PaperBagGhost: I'll send you tissues if needed. I swear Kleenex and Puffs should have royalties with me by now.

Mary: Me? Evil? ...you know me far too well. But yes, today you shall have a new chapter.

chaos key: Thank you, I'm glad you finally managed to get a review in.

* * *

Of course I'm laughing my arse off again. Why you ask? Yes, I know you are curious. And I tell you it is for one reason, and one only (not mentioning the fact I'm probably crazy). It is because the votes are now tied again. This is absolutely brilliant. I don't know why I'm finding it so funny, but it is! Out of the votes I've done, this has been the only once where it's coming down to the deadline wire tied yet again.

I love this right now.

And now I need to go shopping to buy the ingredients I'm lacking for dinner. Curses. How does one run out of lemons? Wait... don't answer that XD.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Forty Four

Eventually Edward was able to get a grip under Roy's soothing touch that continued to brush along him. And he turned his head away from the man as he slowly sat up, one hand brushing his bangs away from his face. "Sorry… I've cried so much… I don't know what's wrong with me."

It took a monumental effort, but Roy managed to sit up where he was. His body protested it the entire way with stiffness and aches, however he succeeded. "I don't care." He said soothingly as he reached out with one hand to turn his beloved's face back to him. "I really don't mind. Do you think I wouldn't have cried if something had happened to you?" He really needed a glass of water, his throat felt like sandpaper.

Edward met his concerned gaze, and attempted a weak smile. "You're worried about me? When I've been so scared over you? Are you okay?"

Roy slid his hand up to tangle in the loose golden fringe and feel the silkiness of it brush down along his arm. "Don't rush and kill the moment, love." And he reached out with his other hand to take Edward's in his. "Of course I'm worried… because I scared you. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" Edward gaped at him, a tiny laugh passing weakly from his lips. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I do… actually." He admitted darkly to himself, but at Edward's curious look, he shook his head. "I'm okay now. I promise. I'll never scare you again."

Edward had heard Al take Riza from the room, and silently he thanked his brother while he moved forward to hug Roy tightly. "You could have died. You're not allowed to die on me, understand? If anyone goes first, it's me, because I clearly can't handle it being you."

"That's selfish." Roy chuckled as he hugged Edward back. "But I understand." And as he hugged his love to him he suddenly realized where he was. "Ed, love?"

"Mmm?" Edward questioned, not moving yet from where he was fulfilling his desire to just be hugged by the man. He had his face tucked into Roy's neck, and he was quite contented with being there for the moment.

"Why did you kick me out of our room?" Roy asked lightly, more amused by it than anything. "I really did a number on you."

"Yes you did, bastard." Edward mumbled from his position. "So I'm punishing you for it." But he pulled away and felt a happy smile slip onto his face as he met Roy's reproachful look. "I didn't kick you out. When you collapsed Thomas was still here, remember?"

Roy did remember, suddenly, and he nodded. "What happened? With him, and the dragon, and everything? And why am I still in here, he's not here, is he?"

Edward shook his head. "Thomas left a few days ago…" he paused, trying to recall the passage of time. But it was little more than an endless sea of daylight and moonlight all mixed into a hazy gray. Entirely indefinable as to just how much time had passed. "At least, I think it was a few days ago. I can't remember…" and he focused back on Roy, "I had other things on my mind. Like being an emotional wreck for once in my life."

Roy reached up to caress one of Edward's cheeks tenderly. "You pull it off well."

"Thank you." Edward felt himself actually flush at the comment. It wasn't like he _enjoyed_ being like he had been. But apparently he must not look like hell, so that was a relief. "But Thomas took care of the dragon. I don't know how, but he did. I was up here with you. But you're still here because you scared me! You _collapsed_! And you had blood on your hand!"

"Yeah…" Roy agreed with a cracking sigh. "When I noticed I was coming down to get you. To tell you. I don't remember making it down the stairs…" he recalled distantly, "did I collapse on the staircase?"

Edward shook his head, looking a bit grim. "You collapsed there yes, but you fell down the rest of the way."

"Well… fuck."

"Good way to put it."

Roy's eyes searched the blond's face, seeing weariness, and happy relief in the golden eyes. "Are you okay?"

Edward laughed softly, though it lacked any mirth. "I am now." He finally said through an attempt at a smile. "You're awake now… you're speaking to me. I feel as if I've been waiting years for this. So yes, I'm okay. A different sort of an emotional mess, but it's getting under control."

"I feel as if I've been waiting forever to be awake and hear your voice again too." Roy softly agreed, and he was reminded again of the promise held not far from his mind. "But why am I still in here? Were you worried about moving me in case Thomas came back?"

"I repeat." Edward frowned at him. "You _collapsed_. And you had blood on your hand. I wasn't about to just let you lie about and hope you got better! Coughing up blood, which I assume is what happened," –Roy nodded –, "is serious! Do you remember what I told you the Riza of this world does for a living?"

Roy paused to sift back through his memories. He still wasn't feeling fully alert and his head ached. But finally he happened upon it. "She's a doctor in some other country." And it occurred to him instantly. "She's here?"

Edward nodded, "she came to diagnose and give you the vaccine for your tuberculosis."

Roy smiled grimly, "so I was right."

"You're cured now." Edward continued as he kept a careful watch over the man. "How are you feeling?"

"Could go for some water. And it feels like I got kicked in the chest by Nitro." Roy admitted and rubbed at his head. "Make that my head too."

Edward smiled brightly at that. "I can go get you some water. I'll send in Riza though to look you over, maybe give you a pain killer. And I'm sure Al would like to see you."

"Al?" Roy echoed. "Al's here? I thought he was in Canada."

"I called him and told him what had happened. He insisted on coming… and I'm glad he did." Edward finished softly, and tore his faraway gaze back to the present. "Want to see him?"

"Yes." Roy agreed eagerly. He had known Al quite well back in Amestris, and liked the young man for more than the reason that he was Edward's younger brother.

Edward grinned at him, and leaned in to place a swift kiss on Roy's lips. "I'll go get them then, and get you water. The sooner they can be sent out of the house for a while the sooner I can move you back to our room for a while."

Roy smiled despite his preoccupation with what weighed on his mind. "So I'm to take it that you don't agree with any doctor's orders telling me to take it easy?"

"Of course not." Edward said as he scooted off the bed. "I'll be back soon. Do you want anything else, to eat?"

"I'm actually not hungry." Roy admitted. "Give me a while and we'll see."

Edward was nearly to the door when Roy called his name, and he turned back. "Yes?"

Roy watched the blond with an unreadable expression, though concern lay in his eyes. "There's something important I need to talk to you about when we have a moment alone. I made a promise to someone… regarding you."

Edward turned back, uncertainty in his stance. "Regarding me how? And who did you make this promise with?"

"When we're alone. But I promise you that it's nothing, or no one, dangerous." And Roy made a silent wish that what he had to say wouldn't make Edward do anything similar to what had happened after the funeral. But just to be on the safe side… he needed to speak to Alphonse. He was weak right now, he could feel it in his very bones. He wasn't in any condition to chase after his lover. So he knew that the second best choice was Al.

"Whenever you're ready then to talk about it, just ask the others to leave." Edward finally said, and the smile returned to his face as he opened the door and passed through it. Yet it was a smile shadowed with uncertainty. What could Roy possibly need to speak to him about? And who had the man made a promise to? The only people Roy had been around were either people who wouldn't bother about Roy, off in Montenegro, or Thomas. And Thomas wasn't exactly the person to go through Roy to discuss something.

"How is he?" Alphonse asked immediately, walking over to meet his brother who'd just exited the room. And softer, he asked, "how are you?"

"I'm better." Edward replied, and could feel the truth of his words hitting him, and wrapping him in their comfort. "I really am… now that he's awake again. It's such a load off me." And suddenly he was pulling Al in for a tight hug. "Thank you… for being here for me. Putting up with me."

Alphonse smiled, and hugged his brother back. "I could have done nothing else. I'm glad you're cheering up."

"So how is he?" Riza asked as she joined them.

The two brothers separated from their hug, and Edward smiled at Riza in relief. "He says he feels fine. I'm going to go get him some water. Though he did say his chest and head hurt."

"Well then," Riza said in a business-like way, "I best go check on the patient." And she bustled off to do so.

Alphonse winked at his brother. "Did you check him over completely yourself?"

"Al!" Edward gasped and swatted at his younger brother.

With a bit of an evil cackle, Al darted away after Riza. Edward watched him go, before he began to head for the kitchen. There was a spring in his step that hadn't been there in a long time as he began to smile happily on his descent down the staircase.

In his old room, Roy's smile was not just for Riza, but for Alphonse as well. He realized how strange it was to be looking at someone who you recognized, someone you knew. Yet that this someone was not the same person. Though if his time with Raymond was anything to judge by, this Riza would be much the same. Yet where he hadn't needed to censor anything with Raymond, here he most definitely needed to. He needed to play it… clueless.

Aside from Al of course, who he happily greeted. "Come to see me in my only moment of weakness?"

"Absolutely, sir." Al grinned at him and crossed over to the bed where they clasped hands in a more "masculine reunion" gesture, than of a polite re-acquaintance. "It's good to see you awake though. Despite the fact that it may make it harder to kick your ass for making us worry."

"Yes, considering the fact that I don't plan on getting up just yet. Access to my ass is temporarily unavailable." Roy bantered back, despite the way his scratchy throat was yelling at him.

Alphonse snapped his fingers in disappointment.

Riza merely decided not to wonder about the strange idiosyncrasies of the three men in this house. And she approached Roy in her very best doctor-ish way. "Lie back down, I need to look you over and then you can sit up again."

Roy gulped, and immediately flopped down, his eyes glued on Riza. "Al… who's the scary lady?" He asked, managing not to burst out laughing. Though his eyes twinkled happily to see Riza again. Even if only her reflection.

"Riza Hawkeye." Alphonse answered through a mirthful grin as he shook his head at Roy from behind Riza.

Roy looked up at her thoughtfully. "And _who_ are you?"

"The doctor who saved your life." She answered, giving him a strange look. As… irritating as this man could be, calling her scary and all, she found it strange that she actually could tolerate him. Which was a miracle.

Roy smiled at her. "Thank you, Riza." And he meant it. In a funny way, he found it fitting that it had been she who'd been called in to save him. The Riza he knew had always looked after his well-being… so it was nice to see that some things never changed with reflections.

And while he really wanted to get to know this Riza, he knew that now was not the time. Edward would be returning soon, and he needed to speak to Alphonse. So as he tolerated Riza poking and prodding at him for various reasons, he turned his head to spot Alphonse where the man was standing at the bay window. One foot up on the ledge, back against the extension out of the wall and the glass panes, and dark amber eyes resting on him. "Alphonse, I may need your help."

Al immediately frowned, but nodded. "With what? Would it not be best to ask my brother?" He asked, and drew away from the window to walk over to the bedside.

"It concerns your brother."

Alphonse sat on the edge of the armchair nearest the bed. "I see…" and he glanced towards Riza pointedly before looking back at him. "What is it?"

Roy hadn't forgotten about Riza standing there, but he knew that he hadn't time to waste building any suspicions. "I need to talk to your brother alone very soon. But what I have to tell him… it may or may not… I'm not strong enough yet to chase after him if he takes off. Can you promise me that you'll not let him do something stupid?"

Al wasn't sure he liked the sound of whatever it was that Roy was going to be telling his brother, but nevertheless, he nodded. "Yes, I'll keep an eye on him." He agreed. "If it's something that you worry about his reaction regarding, would it not be best though to wait until you can chase after him? Yes, I can handle him. But he listens best to you."

"Depending…" Roy bit down a sigh, "he may not want to listen to me anymore today."

Now _that_ had Al worried. "What's it regarding?" He finally asked.

"My dearly departed half-brother." Roy answered honestly through a feeling of fondness for his reflection. He actually did like the man, it was hard not to though considering their link.

Alphonse wasn't able to answer as Edward came back into the room bearing a glass of water. He merely gave Roy a worried look, and went to stand back at the window to watch over the scene.

Riza, however, was not so tongue-tied. "Be careful." She told him pointedly before drawing away. "And you're to stay in bed until at least tonight."

"I will." Roy told her with a smile. "Thank you, Riza."

Alphonse suddenly took charge again, and he straightened from his perch to stride over to Riza. "Come on, I believe I promised you a tour of all the new additions to the place?"

Riza caught on immediately. "Yes. Yes you did. I believe we should start at looking at that fence."

"Yes." Alphonse agreed and began to walk off. "That's the closest."

Edward gave them both a confused look, but didn't ask them to stay. He figured rightly so that this was another of Al's plans to give he and Roy time alone together. But that meant that Roy would be talking to him about something… and he realized that he felt apprehensive about it. So he watched them go, before walking across the room to the bedside, glass of water in hand. "So you're definitely on the mend?"

Managing to sit up the second time was easier, and Roy accepted the glass of water. "Yes. Which I'm glad of. Maybe now the weight will go on easier. I'm tired of looking like a skeleton underneath the clothes." He said, and raised the lip of the glass to his lips so he could begin greedily drinking the cool water. The liquid relieved his throat, and cooled him from the core out.

"I don't mind. I love you no matter how you look." Edward reminded him, "but yes, we'll fatten you up again." And he sat down on the edge of the bed next to Roy with his hands clasped in his lap.

Roy drained the entire glass before setting it onto the bedside table and meeting the uncertain golden eyes. "There's really no easy way to start this…" he realized, and ran a hand back through his hair slowly.

Edward reached up to take that hand in his and hold it gently. "Just say whatever it is you promised to this person. Who was it you made a promise to? Would that be a good place to start?"

Would it? Roy wasn't so sure… but he knew that he'd have to give Edward a name sooner rather than later. He just worried that Edward would bolt before giving him a chance to explain things as he'd promised. Yet he had to believe that Edward would stay. So he took a deep, bracing breath, and answered. "Raymond."

The singular word washed over him like icy water, and Edward felt the foundation of his acceptance about Raymond tremor. And for one reason only, "you never met him. You couldn't have. He died when you came here… unless…" his eyes searched Roy's face almost frantically, "you lied to me?"

Roy adjusted his grip on Edward's hand so that it became firmer, though would not attract the blond's notice. "I did not lie to you." He replied without hesitation. "He did die when I came here. But I have met him... In my dream. Or something. After I collapsed I awoke in the strangest place… maybe it was a dream, he said it was something like that. Something like a between. But Raymond was there, and we talked."

Edward stared at him a long moment, before shaking his head. "You must have a concussion from falling down the stairs. I should go get Riza." He said, and made to get up.

Roy was faster, and he jerked Edward back down. Ignoring the outraged look the man gave him. "You know me better than that, Fullmetal." He said sternly. "I know this is hard for you to hear, but you have to listen to me! You know better than any of us whether the Gate could do such a thing to me. So you tell me, and be honest, was it some fantasy brought on by a concussion?"

"The Gate?" Edward repeated, his eyes narrowing, but he still settled back down onto the edge of the bed.

Roy nodded, "the theory came to be that the Gate had brought he and I together for one purpose, and one purpose only. We figured it out, and I promised him something as well. Something else to tell you besides what needs to be said to fulfill the reason I was given a second chance. A chance to be with you." He answered, and when Edward remained silent, he tried again. "So you tell me… can the Gate do something like that?"

Edward lowered his eyes, though not to hide a lie. "It is possible. My entire knowledge of it is lacking, but I do know the basic fundamentals of its influences. It doing such a thing is possible, yes." And he looked back up quickly. "But I…" he gave Roy an almost pleading look, "I really don't understand this at all."

"Will you listen then, while I explain? While I tell you everything I promised to tell you in order to return to you?" Roy asked as he rubbed his thumb over Edward's hand. "Will you not run?"

After a moment, Edward nodded. "I won't run." He said, and while the urge to separate himself from Roy and sit in the armchair by himself nagged at him, he resisted stubbornly and stayed where he was. The time for running when it came to Raymond was over. He was stronger now. So he would hear Roy out…

He would hear Raymond out…

Roy took a deep breath. "First, and easiest to hear, will be the reason we were brought together to talk. And talk we did, there was no fighting for us. Not over anything that had happened."

Edward nodded. Though he wasn't quite sure he could agree with them being civil to each other. Wouldn't Roy want to bash Raymond on the head at the very least? But he remained silent as Roy began to speak.

"When I was sent here to this world, it was to be given a second chance." He began. "The chance to finally be with the person I loved, but who I was worlds away from. Literally. And I have you now. I'm eternally and irreversibly in love with you. But as Raymond helped me realize, it's not just love that I was given a second chance at. It was life." Here, Roy took pause for his voice, but continued on once he had taken a breath. "A life not shadowed by the one of the past. And the very thing that held that shadow over me, was the manner of my passing. Yes, I told you I was sick. But do you remember those few times you asked me why I'd let myself die? How I never answered you?"

Edward nodded, the latest time of which was still quite fresh in his mind. It hadn't actually been that long ago, yet it felt like a long time. He had really messed up that day… but they'd both apologized for what had been said. Yet he'd never asked again. Not for fear of being shot down another time. But because he'd decided it wasn't worth prying for again when Roy clearly had seemed to want to keep it to himself. "Yes, I do."

Roy nodded as well, and smiled almost sadly. "I should have told you. Because not telling you, it meant that I was still holding onto my past life. I hadn't fully grasped my second chance. The Gate was getting tired of waiting for me, giving me a nudge, so to speak, by putting Raymond and I together to talk. That's what we figured out. So," he took both of Edward's hands to hold in his own, "though I know you'll probably hit me for it, as I've alluded before, I let myself die because of you." And before Edward could even begin to try and frown out what he meant, continued on. "Without you, Edward, life lost all its color for me. All its meaning. There was only so long I could go on without you before there was no point in continuing on without you beside me. So I let myself die. Call me a fool, but everything else was insignificant without you. I love you so much that you're worth more than my own life. Thus, why I let the tuberculosis take mine without a fight. But I never dreamed that I'd have been given a second chance."

Edward knew by the prolonged pause that Roy was waiting for a response. But one could not seem to pass his lips yet. He merely sat there, hands being held by Roy's in a gesture of comfort, eyes gazing deeply into the dark ones opposite. That's why Roy had let himself die? Because he had felt there was no point in continuing on without him? Finally, he moved, his head bowing and his gaze shifting to their joined hands. "You're right…" he finally spoke. "I probably would hit you for it. Except that I can't allow myself such hypocrisy."

"What do you mean?" Roy frowned at him. "You were doing just fine when I first came here."

"It has nothing to do with Raymond." Edward corrected him, and looked back up into Roy's eyes. "I thought you were dying. Fuck, you _were _dying. Such hypocrisy would lie in the fact that for as scared as I was, I came to realize many things. Including how someone could wither away and die from a broken heart." And he extracted one of his hands from Roy's in order to brush it against his cheek. "And I would have, had I lost you. I love you with everything that I am. Losing you would destroy me."

Roy turned his head to press a kiss against Edward's palm. "I'm sorry, love. If I'd told you… this probably never would have happened."

Edward shook his head as his hand traced a traced a trail down Roy's neck going ever lower towards his chest, "I don't need, nor do I want, an apology. I'm just glad that you're back again. That is worth more than anything to me."

More than anything, Roy hated to ruin the moment. A moment in which he wanted to gather Edward to him and ravish him with what strength he had. But he had not yet fulfilled all his promises. And while he knew that doing so meant that Edward would probably trash all ideas for now of molesting him in any way, had he not told Raymond that he could have waited for Edward to come to terms with it all that night Edward burned the letter? If the burning had not been done? Had the letter instead been read? He had. And so he knew now, that this was his test of that. He could wait, and he would wait, for Edward to come to terms with the truth, whether the blond accepted it as the truth or not. "There's also the promise I made to Raymond…"

Edward did not draw his hand away from Roy's chest, but it did halt its descent near the vicinity of the man's heart. His eyes took on a steely sort of gleam, but he nodded his readiness. "Tell me what you promised him."

For he had no doubt that what Roy had been through was possibly, and most likely had happened. And that meant that as difficult as it was for him to hear, Roy and Raymond had been able to speak to each other. And if Raymond had made Roy promise to pass along something… than Edward would hear Raymond out. Not for Raymond's sake, but for Roy's.

Roy closed his eyes then, briefly, before refocusing his gaze on Edward. "I promised to tell you the truth, from him. And, for what it's worth… I believe him. I would have been able to pick up the signs if he had lied, for obvious reasons."

Edward's only attempt towards a response was the retaking of Roy's hand that he'd let go of.

And so, Roy began with as condensed a version as he could. "A few days before the two of you were going to be finished with whatever you were working on together, Raymond was approached by someone from these KGB people. They gave him a choice; do as they wanted and bring them your finished product, or they would kill you. And force him to do it. Clearly now you know which one he chose. He stole the information and brought it to them as promised. He waited for the order not to harm you had been sent out before he killed them all, and blew up the information in his car. He arranged things to look as if they'd gotten into a fight amongst themselves, and fled for it. Though he knew he'd probably be found. He traded his life for yours. But he could never tell you until that letter after his death… he didn't want you to ever become compromised again."

Edward was wordless and motionless for several moments after Roy had fallen silent. Trying to wrap his mind around this. This… what the hell was this?! Abruptly he stood up before Roy could jerk him back, and began to pace the room with one arm wrapped around his middle, his face buried in one hand.

"Edward…?" Roy chanced as Edward's steps became faster, and less coordinated.

Internally, Edward was screaming. Not with words, but a pure scream. Though the words were there, beating about his mind like pinballs in an arcade game. He couldn't hear Roy over any of it. It felt as if he was being ripped apart from the inside out as everything began to crash in around him. Raymond had… why the hell hadn't he noticed anything was wrong?! He should have! He should have known something wasn't right when the stolen information never surfaced against them. He should have known… suspected… seen… anything to notice that something was bothering Raymond! But what if it was all a lie? What if it was just another layer of deception set up to cause him even more pain?!

"Edward!" Roy hated to raise his voice, but Edward looked about to fall over in his pacing, and hadn't made any mention that anything existed beyond him in the room. But when that too yielded no response, he tried something else. "Fullmetal." He called softly, very much not a yell.

Edward jerked to a halt, and lowered the hand at his face to stare at Roy with a haunted look in the golden eyes that the man had never before seen. "And you… believe him?"

Roy nodded solemnly, though he was unnerved by what he saw in Edward's eyes. And he realized with a jolt of apprehension, that this was probably how Edward had looked before he'd executed that binge drinking disaster. "He told me no lies. He assured me the letter was the truth. He and I are more alike than he was forced to make you believe. We would both give our lives without regret to save you. We are practically the same, save experiences that define us. But body language, everything that would have told me whether or not he was lying, pointed to the fact that he was telling the truth. A painful truth, but the truth all the same."

Already beginning to shake, Edward took a step back away from Roy. "I can't-why didn't I-it's all my-I hated him-why?!" He stared at Roy with wide eyes, almost willing that it were not the truth. That Roy would tell him it was all a joke. But the words never came. And all very suddenly, he fell to his knees there on the carpet holding his head in his hands.

"He loves you." Roy answered softly. "As I love you. That is why he wanted you to know the truth. Just as I had to tell you the truth about why I let myself die. None of this is your fault."

Edward's hands clenched around his face. "He… loves me?"

"He does." Roy replied kindly, though he watched Edward with worried eyes. "He wanted you to know… he didn't want you to be torn up any longer over it."

"But he told Kedder how to get into my house!" Edward floundered helplessly.

Roy shook his head, "no. And again, he didn't lie. I can explain it to you if you wish-"

"No!" Edward cut him off, and suddenly was scrambling to his feet. "I just…" he gave Roy an utterly helpless look. "I don't know what to do… what to feel, or say. You tell me that everything I've believed about him is wrong, and I trust you enough to believe you when you say it's not a lie. But what…?" He trailed off, looking for all the world like he was utterly lost.

That is when Roy did the thing that would surely have made Riza shoot him had she seen. It took a great mustering of effort, but Roy got out of the bed. His legs nearly buckled under him, but he managed to stay upright. And after three steps he'd gotten it down again, despite the shakiness of his weakened body. "Shhh…" Roy said as he came up to Edward, and wrapped the shaking blond in his arms. "You don't have to do anything if you don't want."

Edward, for all his emotional distress, knew Roy was weak. "Come on." He finally said as he disentangled himself from the man, and led him back over to the bed. He climbed in first, and then guided Roy down with him. As soon as the man had sat, resting up against the headboard, Edward threw one leg over Roy's and wrapped his arms around the man's middle. Resting his head on Roy's chest to listen to the heartbeat he let out a weary sigh. "Thank you." He whispered after several minutes. "For telling me."

Roy who had wrapped one arm around Edward while the other gently caressed a side, smiled softly. "You're welcome."

It was another nearly five minutes before Edward spoke again. "He was okay?"

"Mmm…" Roy considered the question. The things he could tell Edward. Such as how Raymond believed he had deserved to die for what he'd done. Which at first thought seemed barmy, but for Roy, he understood. But… no… he'd said what had needed to be said. It was best not to give Edward any more guilt than he felt the blond already was experiencing right now. And Edward would feel even guiltier if he mentioned such a thing. "He was."

"I'm glad." Edward said at last, and his eyes fell closed. "Roy?"

"Yes?"

Edward pulled away, and attempted a smile that he wasn't sure how successful it had come out. "I need some time to deal with this, away from you. I think you can understand why. I'll be okay… I just need time."

Roy nodded, he'd been expecting as much. "Take however long you need. I'm here if you need me." He assured the blond, wanting to hold true to the promise he'd made with Raymond that he'd comfort Edward if comforting was needed. "Do you want me to come back to our room when Riza is gone?"

Edward blinked, and felt something inside him twist guiltily that he might have made Roy feel unwelcome. And he nodded his head. "I'm not kicking you out. Just understand that I'll want some space until I make sense of all this." And he brushed his fingertips along Roy's cheek. "I still love you, Roy. So please don't doubt me…"

Roy quickly caught Edward's hand, and kissed it. Edward was worried that his love was doubted? "You little idiot." He whispered affectionately. "I understand. It's okay. You take the time you need, the space you need. I'll never leave you. And when you're ready to come back to me, I'm here."

With a nod, Edward drew his hand away. "Thank you." And he got off the bed and walked towards the door. "I'll talk to Al about keeping an eye on you…" he said, looking over his shoulder as he reached the door, his eyes burning the sight of Roy into his mind. "I love you."

Roy braved him a smile. "I love you too."

And then Edward was gone.

As the door shut behind his blond, Roy sighed heavily. "You better know what you're doing, Raymond." He whispered to the emptiness of the room, and settled in to rest. And to worry about his young lover.

Outside the door Edward had leaned back against it. He was fresh out of tears… but it tore him to leave Roy right now. It felt wrong to leave him after such an event as they'd been through. But he'd never expected to learn what he had.

…at least Roy understood his need for time and space to figure this out on his own.

With Roy looking like Raymond… it would only complicate things.

And he could not simply put this to the back of his mind until Roy was up and about. So feeling very much that he was damned if he did, and damned if he didn't, Edward moved away from the door and Roy, and went in search of his brother.

He found Alphonse and Riza out in the backyard petting the few horses who had come over. They were being watched over by an attentive Nitro. And he walked over to join them. Or rather, join Al. Laying a hand on Andes's neck as he turned to snuffle at his pockets with a happy whicker of greeting, he met Al's eyes. "I need you to keep an eye on Roy. I need some time alone… he can tell you why. I don't think I can manage it." He said with an absent shake of his head.

"Are you planning to do anything stupid?" Alphonse asked him with a penetrating gaze. Had he not known the two better, he'd have guessed that they'd broken up over something to do with Raymond. But he knew that wasn't the case. But that only made him worry more. What had Roy said about Raymond?

"No." Edward said flatly. "I just need time away from him to think… sort this all out for myself. That's all. He understands though."

Alphonse slowly nodded. "I'll look after him then until he's able to do it himself. Or until you sort yourself out."

Edward gave him a small, grateful smile, and nodded. He then turned and began to walk through the snow away from the chateau. A part of him wished for his coat. But the other part of him wanted to feel the cold.

"Where are you going?" Alphonse called after him.

"For a walk. I'll be back, don't worry." Edward called back over his shoulder, before bowing his head and continuing on.

Alphonse stared after him worriedly, and finally turned to Andes. "Go with him." He said upon catching the large muzzle in his hands. "Go." And with a swat to the gelding's rump, Al watched the horse canter off after its owner.

"Will he be okay?" Riza asked, walking over with Jasper on her tail.

"At least he's not heading the other way." Alphonse said, turning to her. "We should probably go check on Roy."

Edward had since been joined by the white horse, and gave him an absentminded pat in welcome. "Story of my life, right?" He asked, and the horse snorted as if in agreement. At least, he took it as agreement. "Now I just have to find my way back to the rainbow. Again."


	45. Chapter 45

copycat: Yes, just a bit unrealistic. But funny all the same.

Koorii: Yummy! And Izumi huh... I'll have to see what I can do one day.

Shinimegami: Yeah, that's a hell of a thing to suddenly have told to you. But yes, Roy is a very understanding man. Darn his perfection.

mutantpenguins: That camp sounds like loads of fun XP. Just tell them that if they misbehave demons will eat their souls.

Tana: Ouch... I'm not sure he likes being called anything but "He-Man".

moonstone: I was wondering where you were. I'm glad you didn't slip back to lurking. I'd be sad. And no slapping Ed... yet.

anmb: I have a box of tissues on my desk with me whenever I write now. It's just habit to have them in case something makes me all weepy. Yes, parfaits! I LOVE them! Yes, LOVE! XD

aml: You know you're intrigued. Greed has nice arms -snickers and pinches them-. Yeah, it is a lot for Ed to take in. Poor dear.

Sailor Silver Rose: Oh dear, sounds like you've been having fun and a headache. I'm glad your weekend is here as well after something like that.

ferret: No you haven't! Squee you're back! -duct tapes you here- Don't leave me again, my poor heart can't take it XD. I'm really glad you're liking how it's turned out so far.

GreedxEd: Umm... do you want a hug? And I can't help it if she consoles me when you kick me to the couch.

Akira: I'll bet that was heavenly. And yes! Chocolate cake! -runs off with it-

haganeno: Ed is a very big mess. Roy just needs to get a broom and sweep him up and glue him back together.

E: Yeah, again. And it still is tied. Which makes me think I'll be choosing between the two. And you are a klutz, remind me never to let you use my phone. And yes, poor Raymond. I adore him completely. I'm so eventually writing he and Ed together. They need a happy ending.

* * *

So here it is, very nearly have a completed story on my hands. Anyone else find it strange that the majority of my chapter fics end around the 40 region? Oh well. I did notice that from my first story my chapters are always getting a whole lot longer. My first story.... oh how long ago I wrote thee... over a year ago. I shall compose poetry to express my woes which no one shall read XD.

And here it is, the chapter to set the scene for my second favorite chapter.

Which happens to be the last chapter. And it is quite long. I will also be attaching an epilogue to show how some of the OC's (Alice, Fane, Thomas, Marks, and Collins) all end up. As well as Al's return to Marta. This will be going up tomorrow (both the last chapter and the epilogue), provided I get time to get online. On Monday I'd then be beginning the new story, as always. But again, this depends on if I get time to get online. With my laptop still who knows where, you can understand.

With all that said, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Forty Five

Roy was still abed, thoughts centered on Edward. As much as he didn't want Edward to put space between them, he knew the reason the blond sought it. So he could only hope that Edward would come back to him soon. He didn't expect it to be any time today… or tonight… but however long it took, he'd wait. And watch.

It was then that the door opened again. But only Alphonse entered.

"Riza is writing up paperwork to explain to her employers why she took off from her clinic." Alphonse explained as he shut the door and walked over. "Luckily she need only write brother's name on it and send it in. But she's opting for the long and more professional way."

"Just how influential is your brother? I mean, I thought I knew…"

With a shrug, Al sat in the armchair. "Even I really don't know. But brother has ties to just about every level of society in this world. You know how he is… so it's no surprise to me."

"Yes." Roy did know how Edward was. It was like he'd told Raymond, Edward was just good with people. Whether the blond knew it or not. Perhaps not always socially, but he had a presence that just made people listen to him.

"He's out taking a walk." Alphonse replied to the unanswered question he was sure that somewhere, Roy was thinking about. "In the backyard, so he's not heading for the road at least."

Roy nodded slightly, relieved that Edward wasn't doing anything potentially reckless. But he could understand why Edward had gone for a walk. A walk was good, a walk was safe. And Edward would be able to be alone and think. "As long as he comes back by tonight… he knows I worry." Roy admitted and turned his head so he could gaze out the window.

A shadow of a smile brushed Al's lips. It was a little thing… but it was one of those little things that meant everything. Such as Roy being concerned if his brother wasn't home by a certain time of day, and his brother acknowledging it. It was a sweet little thing. But even so, "why is he taking a walk? He wouldn't tell me what you said to him, just to ask you."

Roy did not look away from the window, and a faraway sad smile took its place. "I see…" and so he took a breath before beginning again. "While I was unconscious-"

**Backyard – Glass Rose Chateau**

Edward was still walking at a steady pace away from the chateau. One hand shoved in a pocket, the other winding strands of horse mane absently. His eyes were for the ground, though he did not see it. He was entirely lost in his own mind, relying entirely on Andes not to walk him into a tree. He could hear some of the other horses following them, but the crunch of their hoof beats in the snow sounded hollow and distant.

He trusted Roy completely…

Which meant that when he said Raymond hadn't been lying, that it was the truth, he believed.

And like all truths of great magnitude, this was one that upset the former order of things. In a way that sent him reeling and trying to find the shore again.

The inner screams had fallen deaf, leaving him with a desolate silence not entirely caused by the quiet a snowfall brought. He welcomed this silence. It suited his mood. His desire to seek solitude.

He would have thought in a time such as this, that he would have been assailed by hundreds of questions. All jockeying for his immediate notice. Yet he was oddly calm. And while yes, there were words echoing in his mind, they were from an entirely different source.

Memories.

A reel of them was slowly passing through his mind. And it was these memories that his eyes saw, not the snow under his feet. They were not vividly clear to him. For one, the background was a watercolor swirl. And the echoing words that went along with the memories were like whispers, fading in and out. They danced through his mind at their slow pace, and with each one that passed, the more he could feel himself ache in regret.

Where had he gone so wrong as to not notice something was wrong?

He should have…

Looking back now, knowing now what he did, it seemed so obvious. Raymond had protected him… and what had Edward done? Nothing. And perhaps, more than realizing his hate was undeserved, doing nothing to protect Raymond in turn… that hurt the most. And he tried to tell himself that there was nothing he could have done, because Raymond was clearly that damn good of an actor. But it only helped a little.

So he kept walking.

"_None of this is your fault…" _

"…_he didn't want you to be torn up any longer over it."_

They were the first words beyond the memories to break the silence he'd wrapped himself in. And as he continued walking, he repeated them in his head. Doting on each one as if he had eternity to spend.

And slowly, step by step, and memory by memory, he tried to accept those words.

Even so…

He continued walking away from the chateau.

He had gone maybe another half-mile or so on foot, before he stopped. His gaze drifting towards the east. There was nothing there within eyesight but more snow covered trees that dotted his property. But he was looking beyond them, to something he couldn't see. The hand holding onto Andes's mane tightened unconsciously as he looked into the distance.

"_I accept my responsibility, Edward. This is all I have left to give. I hope it's never needed… I hope it's enough."_

For the first time, Edward truly understood what Raymond had meant. He could feel the weight of the gun resting in his pocket, and he drew it out. Taking his hand from his horse, he checked the chamber. Finding only two bullets left inside. Just as he'd thought. Raymond had left him with a complete round. And he snapped it back closed again.

Slipping the pistol into his waistband, Edward looked east again. "It is enough." He whispered in reply to those words said long ago. "It's time I finish letting you protect me."

And walking back a pace to be at Andes's side instead of up by his head, Edward vaulted himself up on the high back. Grabbing hold of mane in both hands, Edward checked the approximate position of the sun through the clouds as the horse began to prance under him. "I should have time." He muttered to himself. And then turning his horse north, he sent the animal into a gallop.

It took him several hours to reach the opposite end of the property. The lake nearby, the rosebushes as well. And the gate tucked in among the cypress trees. He had lost the rest of the horses along the way, somewhere. But that was fine by him. They couldn't follow him where he was going anyway.

Patting Andes's neck and murmuring nonsensical words to the snorting animal, who judging by the prancing going on, was not at all tired from the run, Edward guided the horse towards the gate. The snow was thicker here, and Andes was forced to step high to plow through it. But get there they did, and Edward hopped down once he'd reached it.

The snow was almost up to his knees, but he ignored it. Instead he took the cold padlock keeping the gate securely shut in one hand. The other reached into the branches of one of the nearby cypress to fetch the key from the hollow in a trunk. Once he'd unlocked it he left the key inside the lock, and chucked both items over the gate.

Now he shoved his weight against it, causing it to swing open inch by inch as the snow was disturbed. Until finally he'd shoved it open wide enough to admit the horse as well.

Andes was somewhat uncertain about going through the gate, but he obeyed his human's commands and stepped through. And he stood there, ears flicking about and eyes wide as he gazed around the snow-frosted wood.

Edward shoved the gate back closed, and padlocked it from this side. The key he placed in a pocket. He then walked over to Andes and swung back up onto the horse's back. "Pace yourself, it's a long way." He murmured to the horse, before turning them east and giving heel to the animal.

And the two galloped off through the thick snow of the forest.

A long way translated into roughly twenty miles cutting through the forest. It was the shortest distance, but not the easiest to manage. The forest was thick with snow and obstacles that forced the horse to either plow through, go around, or jump. But it _was_ the shortest distance. And thus, the quickest one as well.

Only when they were less than a mile away and onto the road did Edward slow his horse. Patting the sweaty neck absently, he kept a careful watch. By now he could feel that Andes was tired, but he was grateful that he had such a horse with such stamina and speed after the harsh treatment he'd rescued the gelding from. "You can rest for a while once we're there." He murmured, and received a snort in answer as the horse clopped down the inadequate road.

**Briarwood Estate - London**

When the mansion came into view, Edward only felt his determination settle. The gates that should have barred their path were open, as they always were. For few dared tread these grounds. And they passed through them without challenge.

Andes clopped his way up the rarely-traveled drive, his wind returning to him. Though he was feeling unsettled by the general atmosphere hanging over this place. Yet he kept moving forward, willing to brave it for his human.

Edward allowed the horse to stop as they reached the end of the drive. Parked off to one side was an empty and beaten down truck with a loose front fender. He gave it only a passing look before he swung down off the white gelding. "Stay." He ordered, and patted the horse's shoulder before walking towards the front door.

He didn't look around as he reached the front door. He knew that there'd be nothing to see but barrenness to the outside of this place. He only looked back to see Andes standing perfectly still, as Edward knew the horse would until he came back, before he entered through the door.

The pistol came into his hand as if magically materializing there. A finger flipped the safety off, and he found the trigger.

Walking into the foyer, he looked around with narrowed eyes. He roughly had an idea of where the man would be. He'd been here before… a long time ago. A time when this estate hadn't been shrouded in an aura that made skin crawl. A time when the owner hadn't been beyond reach of sanity. Time had changed much. However Edward doubted that time had changed where Kedder's laboratory was located.

So he turned his steps in that direction, all the while listening intently for any sign at all that he was not as alone as he thought. He didn't want to happen across any more deranged animals whilst he was here.

He'd have someone else, preferably animal control, take care of the animals once he was done here.

Edward soon found himself at the door he remembered, and pushed it open. Stepping across the threshold into the large room filled with the flickering light of the many candles. Wooden tables both long and short were arranged about, and most were groaning under the weight of the many scientific supplies set upon them. Across the room, at a table laden with beakers filled with substances that bubbled of their own accord, changed color, or generally sat there looking ominous, the hunched back of the man he sought was there.

"Unfortunately," Edward spoke over the soft hum of the going-ons of the laboratory, "third time isn't the charm for everyone. Especially regarding attempts on my life." And he leveled the pistol at his target as he slowly walked nearer to bring himself in better range. He knew Raymond had been able to reach farther targets with this gun, however, he was hardly as good a shot.

Kedder's brown eyes blinked at the voice, and he felt himself bristle as he slowly turned. "My pet-"

"Is dead." Edward cut him off abruptly. The fire of anger in his eyes tempered only by the steel of his resolve.

Kedder shook in his own anger. "Killed my pets… Elric must pay. He must pay for murder, pay for trespassing, pay for stealing precious things not his!" He said, raising a finger to point at the pistol. "The right is not his, my pets, to carry a token of who he betrayed!"

"Raymond left me this, to use against people like you when he could no longer protect me himself!" Edward snapped, stopping where he was in the middle of the room. And while his voice shook with emotion, not all of which was anger, the hand holding the gun was steady. "I saved your life once before… I won't make that mistake again!"

"Elric thinks he can kill me, my pets." Kedder giggled, and glanced once towards the beakers beside him before looking back at the intruder. "Thinks Raymond could forgive him. It's his fault, my pets. His fault Raymond turned against us."

"It's not my fault!" And his free hand clenched at his hair as if the pressure would stifle the painful route his thoughts took. It took a deep breath before he lowered his hand, fixing his full attention back on Kedder and saying quietly, "I don't know if he forgave me for turning against him so easily. How can I forgive myself?" Edward shook his head, and Roy's words returned to him. Joined with Raymond's. "But it's not my fault. It's people like you who did this to him. My enemies."

Kedder giggled again. "And they call Kedder mad, my pets. Thinks it's not his fault. Then whose fault is it, Elric my pet? Raymond was destroyed because of Elric, my pets, yes he was. Had Elric never been a part, Raymond would live."

Amid the anger, determination, and pain in Edward's eyes, sadness of doubt joined them. "It's not my fault…" he repeated desperately to himself. "It's not." And yet… wasn't Kedder correct? Had he never gotten involved with Raymond, none of this would have happened. Only Raymond would have acted as he had. Anyone else would have probably said to hell with it, and let the KGB kill him. So didn't it make it his fault?

Edward could feel the pain tearing at him again, the scream growing louder inside. And his free hand clenched at his head in some frantic attempt to shut it all out. "It's not my fault… it isn't…"

"Let him keep telling himself that, my pets." Kedder sneered as his hand closed around the correct beaker. "As he faces Raymond's judgment." And he flung the beaker filled with an iridescent lime green acid at the blond intruder.

Only reflexes honed since he was a teenager managed to get Edward to leap back just in time. And as the beaker shattered and the angry sizzling of the acid began to quickly burn away at the floor, the gun in his hand was remembered.

Kedder stared in awe at the blood leaking out of his chest, before giving a gurgling giggle and crumpling to the floor with Edward in his sight. Even as the light of life fled his eyes.

Edward stared, his hand beginning to shake now as well. Stared at the lifeless body, at the acid still eating away at the place he'd just been. And then he fell to his knees, the pistol falling from his hand to clatter to the floor. But he did not retrieve it. Instead his hands cradled his head through frantic breaths that had nothing to do with fear. The thought that he was hyperventilating was a sane thought, and stood no chance against the erratic path his mind was taking right before it spiraled out of his control.

"It's not my fault…"

Something inside laughed at him, taunting him that it was. That if not for him, Raymond would never have been involved. Never sacrificed himself. Raymond might even still be here if not for him.

"It's not… he chose!"

Yes, he did. Because he loved Edward. If there'd been no love, things wouldn't have been the same.

"There's no way to know…"

His hands had curled into fists, and they slammed to the floor. It wasn't his fault… Roy had said it wasn't! And he trusted Roy, believed him! So it wasn't his fault. And Raymond… Raymond didn't blame him either, right? If Raymond had, the man wouldn't have bothered telling him the truth. If Roy and Raymond were so similar, neither of them had it in themselves to be spiteful towards him.

"It's not my fault." He whispered to himself.

How long he knelt there on the floor, he wasn't sure. But when his breathing steadied the sizzling of the acid had ceased. His eyes caught sight of the fallen pistol, and he took it up in both hands. "He was never mad at me…" he whispered to himself. "He was kind to me, looked after me until the very last. And I? …I never said goodbye."

He'd even tried to put a stop to Raymond having a funeral. And now?

He felt terrible.

"I'm so sorry." His fingers wrapped around the pistol. And in the time it took him to do so, he understood what it was he needed to do. Roy had spoken of second chances, shedding the shadow of the past life. Only then, Edward realized, would he be able to truly live again after this. It wasn't just accepting what was… it was accepting it and moving forward. No longer living under the shadow of guilt.

For like Roy, he realized he had one as well. One that had only been brought back to life today.

Flipping the safety back on the pistol, he tucked it back in his waistband and got to his feet. Without a second look back, Edward walked away.

He didn't stop to tour any parts of the mansion. In fact, he barely recalled where he was. He just knew where he needed to be. So his steps were quick as he left behind this place. The front door he'd left open, and as he stepped past it he was greeted by the sight of his horse still there waiting for him. He wasn't sure how long he'd been, but it was a warming feeling that someone was waiting.

"I'm afraid it's time for another fast trip." Edward said as he reached the gelding, and swung up onto Andes's back. And not looking back, he turned the horse towards home.

**Glass Rose Chateau**

Roy finally had Riza's permission to be stretching his legs again. And after all the bed rest, he was a lot more steady than he'd been this morning. He'd spent most of the day getting to know this Riza, and catching up with Al. But if he seemed distracted, neither of them mentioned it.

With his health in the clear, Riza was packing her things so she could return on a flight in the morning to Sudan. Alphonse hadn't yet said anything about returning to Canada. But Roy knew why. If Edward was intent on having time alone, Al had appointed himself to the position of looking after Roy should he need help with anything. Currently the younger Elric was leaning in the doorway of Riza's chosen guest room and chatting to her amiably about some nonsense or another as she packed.

Roy had recently gotten out of the shower, and was now walking around the upper floor of the house finally dressed in something other than pajamas. His gait was a bit stiff and wobbly at times, but otherwise he was managing. His equilibrium was coming back to him. Especially after the massive meal that Alphonse had made.

Though he decided not to tell Al that his cooking was horrendous. He merely appreciated being fed.

Eventually he made his way into the library.

Walking over to the windows, he gazed out over what of the backyard he could see. Edward still hadn't returned, and it was getting close to being dark outside. Worry rested in his chest, along with a feeling of frustration. He didn't like being unable to help Edward. However, the fact that Edward had requested the space, and that Roy knew why it was needed, didn't help alleviate the frustration much at all. "Don't stay out there tonight." Roy said to the empty yard. "Big animals are bigger in the dark."

With a shudder, he turned to sit at the piano. His fingers passed over the keys in a stroke much as like he was reacquainting himself with them. And then his fingers began to call music from them. Music of the best notes. The song he'd written for Edward.

And he played it now, pouring himself into it. Willing that maybe, Edward would hear it. For whatever good it did.

From the doorway of the guest room, Riza and Al were watching across to the library where they could see Roy playing.

"It's beautiful." Riza whispered, as if afraid to speak too loud and damage the purity of the music.

Alphonse smiled. He could guess why Roy sought the piano in this moment, as his brother sought solitude. "He's trying to call Edward home." His own voice was hushed as well.

Riza did not look away from Roy, but her brows furrowed a bit. "It'd work on me. Strange way to call someone home though."

"Brother loves listening to him." Al told her. "I think if he wants to be, he could be a very great musician."

"Why is it that Edward took off, anyway?" She asked, relaxing against the doorframe to watch and listen.

Alphonse's smile turned sad. "The message Raymond wanted his half-brother to pass along was not an easy one. Even for me. I can only begin to imagine how it hit my brother."

"What message is this?"

"Let's put it this way," Alphonse decided, "I've decided I don't like martyrs. They make the rest of us seem like pansies." But there was no bitterness in his words. And his eyes held a small ember of warmth.

Riza frowned a bit, but shook her head. "I'll never understand you men, will I."

Al chuckled softly. "No. We're a hard bunch to figure out. My brother and I… Roy… even Raymond. But don't worry, we think you're fantastic. So you're safe from our more… scary selves."

"Except when one of you tries to cook."

"Do I see anyone leaning over the toilet with food poisoning? I think not."

Riza smirked, "that's because I'm a doctor. Strong stomach. As for you… well, you're used to it."

"And Roy?"

"His body won't be wanting to give up nutrients. No matter how tainted they are by your abysmal attempts at the culinary art."

Alphonse grinned, and glanced her way. "I'll convince you otherwise yet."

Riza snorted, "there's more than one reason I'm flying out tomorrow morning." And she turned away to resume her packing while listening to the continued piano music.

Al looked away from her, and back to watching Roy. He felt his heart go out to the man, and silently wished him strength. "He'll be back…"

And that was exactly what Roy was wishing for as he continued to play. With each note, his desire to see Edward back again intensifying. So when a flash of white caught his eye out in the distance, his fingers abruptly stopped as he looked.

Out in the distance, and galloping towards the chateau, was Edward astride one of those huge horses.

He lost no time in launching himself off the bench and hurrying out of the library. And unsteadiness fled him as he made his way to the stairs and quickly began to descend.

"Is he back?" Alphonse called after him.

"Yes." Roy called back, and heard Al hurry after him. But he didn't wait. Instead he finished his near run down the flight of stairs, and pivoted to head through the doors of the ballroom and out to the terrace. He knew Edward wanted space away from him, but he had to see up close that Edward was back.

Edward pulled Andes up only a few yards from the terrace, and leaned down to stroke the sweaty neck. "Thank you." He whispered to the horse, and then slipped down from the high back. "You're a good horse." And he stepped away with a farewell pat.

Andes immediately wheeled to trot tiredly over to where he could sense some of his herd mates.

Edward was brushing his hair with his fingers trying to get it back under control when he noticed the terrace was not quite empty. And he stopped at the stairs, looking up at Roy. His hand lowered, but try as he might, he couldn't find his voice. And even if he could, he wasn't sure what to say. So he stood there, continuing to meet that dark gaze.

Roy finally broke their silence upon realizing that Edward seemed lost for words, and Alphonse seemed content to lurk in the ballroom. "I'm glad you're back." He said quietly, attempted a wavering smile, and turned to go back inside. Ready to return Edward the space away from him that had been requested.

"I didn't mean to worry you." The words tumbled out with absolutely no finesse. But Edward's finding of his voice hadn't been a smooth transition. And trying to make up for it, said, "I heard you playing."

Roy stopped, and looked toward him. "From that far away?"

Edward flushed a bit, and nodded. "Sound carries easily here in winter."

They stood there quietly both of them, each gazing at the other. Each with a thousand things to say, but no way yet to say them. Finally, Roy turned away. "Riza is still here, so goodnight."

"Roy, wait." Edward quickly called after him, and slowly mounted the steps to join Roy on the terrace. "Did he… blame me? For anything?"

Roy's gaze softened, "no."

Tentatively, Edward reached out to brush their fingers together, as if he wanted but dared not take Roy's hand. "Goodnight." He said softly, and drew his hand away to go inside and leave Roy standing there looking after him.

"Brother, are you okay?" Alphonse asked as he swooped down on Edward, glancing back once at Roy still out on the terrace but now looking out away from them.

"I will be." Edward said with a shake of his head, and only walked faster. "Goodnight, Al."

Alphonse stopped, and watched his brother go. A sigh escaped him, and he turned back to where Roy had finally walked inside. "For what it's worth, I don't see any sign that he's liable to do anything stupid." And he knew his brother far too well to be offended by the abruptness displayed just then. He knew what his brother must be going through.

Roy smiled faintly. "I don't think he will. I think we'll both be fine tonight. But you on the other hand," he looked at Alphonse seriously. "If you don't get some sleep I'm telling Riza to give you something to knock you on your ass."

Al grinned at him, "now how is it you can tell I've been up for days and Riza can't?"

"Because I know you Elric's far too well." Roy rolled his eyes. "So I'm going to go turn in. I know I've slept for days, but I'm tired. You get some sleep too."

"Will do." And Alphonse began to walk with Roy back towards the staircase.

Meanwhile in the bedroom he normally shared with Roy, Edward was kneeling in front of the same bottom dresser drawer that had kept Raymond's pistol out of sight over the years. He had already changed into dark jeans and one of his white long-sleeved buttoned shirts that concealed his automail. He'd grabbed his military styled jacket from the downstairs closet before coming up here, and it lay on the floor next to him.

He had moved aside the clothes that kept hidden what lay at the very bottom. The pistol with its one shot remaining had been returned to its leather holster. It now lay inside that drawer. There was only one other thing there that was normally hidden. A large once white envelope, now aged yellow around the edges.

It was this that he lifted out.

Pulling back the upper flap, Edward bypassed the documents inside. He knew what they contained. And at the time he'd received it, he'd wanted to burn it all. But like the pistol, it had found its way into safekeeping, out of sight and mind for many years. And now he found himself eternally glad that he'd kept it all.

And quite literally, he'd kept it _all_.

For what lay inside were not only the documents Raymond had filled out to will all of his possessions to Edward, but the keys to the gates and door of Raymond's property. He'd had these before, they'd not been mailed to him. But they had ended up in the envelope regardless.

He now slipped them into the inside pocket of his coat before pulling it on snugly.

Hiding everything again, he shut that drawer and opened another. He pulled out his passport and tucked it away, as well as his wallet. He left several bills on top of the dresser, figuring Alphonse would find them and happily do some food shopping while he was gone.

He waited until he could hear no more noise out in the hallway, before slipping from his room into the darkness of the hallway beyond. Everyone else was clearly asleep or in bed. And he crept quietly down the stairs before heading to the garage with car keys in hand.

The thought of telling them where he was going had crossed his mind, but he decided against it. He knew they'd worry, and right now he couldn't find it in himself to feel guilty. This was something he needed to do, and now. Lest the Gate do something more painful to him to give him his own nudge.

The fear of losing Roy, and then learning the truth about Raymond… that had been painful a nudge enough.

And so now he fled to save what was left of himself and be mended again.

…he could ask for forgiveness for giving everyone a scare when he got back.

But was this not something he needed to do on his own?

Getting in the car, he backed out slowly to try and prevent making unnecessary noise, and finally backed out onto the empty road. Then shifting it into gear, he made his way towards London, and the airport.

It was a surprisingly short feeling drive, considering his mental and emotional state right now. But he found parking in one of the car parks off to the side of the airport. Which basically meant that he parked his car in a 'No Parking' zone nearest the airport.

He got out, and locked the car before heading into the airport. He didn't have any baggage, so he didn't bother with any of that nonsense. He merely approached the ticket counter and bartered his way onto the next flight leaving for Italy. He'd have to take a car up to his destination… but it was not a path he'd not traveled many times before.

And within two hours, he was on the last flight of the night that was bound for Italy. All the while hoping that he might get back and no one would know he'd gone on anything more but another walk. Though considering his brother and Roy were smarter than the average person…

Yes, he'd ask for forgiveness when he got back and explain. But this really was something he should do on his own.


	46. Chapter 46

Tana: Yeah, he has a plenty to be thinking about. That's for sure.

Koorii: You have a squishy romantic side? Lord, how did I not know? And yes, feel the inspiration!

Sailor Silver Rose: Marks and Collins will appear in the epilogue.

Bar-Ohki: Twist... pretzel! I want a pretzel, I am hungry... _

Gaara: That's okay, you're forgiven when you're sick. I don't even pull out the duct tape.

moonstone: You want to have a bbq with his pets?

amlf: Yes, he would. Join the dark side that is loving Greed as a doctor.

haganeno: You better not have laundry tonight.

copycat: TP it, wouldn't you? ...only kidding.

Lamia: Yeah, he always has it hard, poor thing. But he's a strong soul.

ferret: I will allow non-duct tape time for that, yes.

anmb: Maybe he could use the alcohol to burn it down? And I went gaga writing Roy playing the piano for Ed to call him home. He's such a - PANCAKES! With blueberries! Squee!

Mary: Thank you. And I will too... and bravo, you're the only one to have caught the kiss thing. Don't worry, I didn't forget it, I just had to place it at the right time.

Shinimegami: I was actually considering the metal detector thing too. How the heck would he explain that two body parts are made from metal? He'd end up having a full body cavity search.

GiftBasket: No it is ending soon. Like... now-ish. I just have the epilogue left.

E: Roy can give him that spanking... and yes, Kedder got what he deserved.

chaos key: Thank you. And yeah... Kedder wasn't liked very much. Not that I wanted him to be.

Cheru-chan: Roy was sweet doing that! Seriously, you have a point, how can anyone say no to that romantic devil?

mutantpenguins: Yup, you had to wait. Don't hurt me XD.

Cheryl: For when/if you ever make it here... I don't know how you never saw it, but I figured you didn't check FFnet at all anymore... if that is not the case... you dun love me anymore! XDD ...kidding flee-

* * *

Votes have all been recorded. You'll know which story won soon enough, never fear.

And now that rl finally took a sidestep to give me breathing room... the final chapter of Circa 1950 has made its debut. With an epilogue to follow. As I probably mentioned, this chapter is longer than all the others before it. For good reason. When I originally wrote it I couldn't decide a good place to split it. So I hope no one minds. ...even if that does mean the story ends here.

And so now we begin...

I am going to get weepy now.

* * *

Chapter Forty Six

"So how did you manage to realize that old military dream of yours?"

Alphonse and Roy were seated at the kitchen table while Riza puttered around the kitchen cooking. According to her, she wasn't chancing eating Al's cooking before a potentially turbulent flight back to Sudan. They were keeping their conversation generic sounding, but to them, it was filled with meaning.

"I wish I knew, that way I never do it again." Roy chuckled a bit, but smiled. "No, it was okay. But the novelty rather wore off when the loneliness kicked in. Long work hours, and even seeing the others didn't happen much at all. My friends started becoming papers, and human interaction became endless talks with generals having hissy fits." And he waved a hand. "But I just worked hard for it. I had little else to try and keep my mind off of certain… departures."

"Do you ever wonder about what happened after you left?" Al asked, leaning onto the table with his elbows and cradling his chin in the cradle of his entwined fingers.

With a half-hearted shrug, Roy answered. "I haven't for a while now. My life is here now, there's no changing that. I worry sometimes how the others handled it… or which kiss-ass got my job. But it's only in passing."

"All of them kiss-asses, huh?" Alphonse drawled, seemingly amused.

"Yes." Roy frowned at him. "Care to elaborate on your thoughts, O' Wise One?"

Al winked at him. "About time you noticed. I was just thinking… you don't seem the type to keep such people around if they're no good. So was there anyone who would have been decent to take over?"

Roy barely needed to think about that. "No one is ever really ready for that job. But there were a few individuals who could have managed not to screw it up entirely."

"Well, at the risk of being accused as seeming selfish, I'm glad you're here." Alphonse said, and glanced away towards where Riza was cutting scone dough into wedges. "I know brother is too. You may not believe it, but it got kind of lonely just being the two of us who knew..." and he looked back to Roy with a smile, "but now you're here as well. It's a bit more like being home."

Roy nodded somberly. "I can't imagine what it was like for Ed without you here that first time."

Alphonse had often wondered the same, but his brother rarely mentioned that past. "We all have our separations to bear." And he frowned at the man a bit. "Speaking of which… have you seen my brother since last night?"

Sadness leaked into Roy's posture, and the man gave a shake of his head. "No. I figure he's holed up in the room either thinking or sleeping on it. As much as I want to check on him, I respect his desire to be alone. Last night, well, I just had to make sure for myself that he came inside."

"Did he eject you from the room?" Al asked quietly in confusion.

"No." But it was about as good as being ejected. The only things missing were his clothes in a box outside his old room door to show he should bunk there until Edward came to terms with what had passed yesterday. Not that he begrudged the man such a decision. He knew where their relationship stood, so he wasn't worried about that. But he was worried for Edward. When the time was right though, he'd comfort the man. If last night had been any indication, it could be sooner than he'd expected.

"That's good then." Alphonse drew his hands down to tap his fingers together. "If he doesn't come down soon, you should go check on him. I would… but since you're feeling better it'd be best if you handled him should anything come up. He'd respond best to you despite everything."

"I will."

"And," Al continued with a wicked grin, "you two don't make an appearance before I see Riza to the airport, I'll just assume things are going well."

Roy tried not to be amusedly exasperated with him. "You assume away."

"I will."

Riza walked over to them bearing plates and forks. "Al, you want to help me bring the food over?" She requested as she began to set them down onto the table.

Al immediately stood up. "Of course." And he turned to give Roy a pointed look.

Roy stood as well. "I'll go see if Edward's awake."

"Tell him he better come eat even if he isn't hungry." Riza called after Roy. "Otherwise I'm sticking a nutrient IV in his arm before I leave. He hasn't eaten since yesterday morning at breakfast. What little he did eat."

"Okay." Roy called back, and vanished down the hallway. He'd been so preoccupied with other matters yesterday that he hadn't even thought of that. But Riza was right, Edward hadn't eaten since breakfast. At least, he assumed Edward ate at breakfast with what Riza had said. And that was yet another thing to worry him. Yes, he better drag Edward down to eat at the very least.

So he made his way up the staircase and to their room.

His hand rested on the handle for a moment before he opened the door. "Edward?" He called out as he stepped inside. And was met with the sight of an empty room. As a frown came onto his face he shut the door behind him. "Ed?"

Walking over to the bathroom, he found it dark and empty. It was odd… he had been awake fairly early this morning. And he hadn't seen any sign of Edward getting up and leaving their room. Turning he made his way back to the bed, running a hand over where Edward usually slept. There was no warmth there at all.

"Where did he go… and when?" Roy wondered aloud, and quickly made his way out of the room. Never seeing the money on the dresser in his haste.

Either Edward was somewhere else in the house, in such case he had better look for the man. Or Edward had gone out again for another walk. A walk that had clearly begun before dawn has a walk been taken.

And Roy began the quickest search of the upstairs floor that he'd ever imagined possible of him. And in no room that there was, did he find the missing blond. He was halfway down the stairs when Alphonse appeared in the foyer looking for him.

"He's not up there. Anywhere." Roy explained, hurrying down the last steps. "Will you help me look down here?"

Alphonse nodded, "I'll check over there." He said, waving a hand towards where the pool and other facilities were. "You get the ballroom back… but Riza will come hunting you down with both of us gone now. Best you're in a place to get back in there soon."

Roy started off in that direction. "Maybe he went for another walk… but still."

"Yeah… still…" Alphonse wouldn't be comforted that his brother had up and vanished for another long walk like before without telling anyone.

Both of them covered thoroughly the areas that they'd chosen to look. Alphonse took the swimming pool, gym, even the coat closet, and turned up nothing. Roy turned up similar after his thorough check of the ballroom, the terrace beyond, the dining room, and when they made it back to the kitchen, Edward wasn't there either.

"Seems he's out on another walk." Roy said in explanation to Riza's curious look, though he exchanged a darker one with Alphonse. Where the hell had Edward walked off to this time? And when? He might not have been concerned about it any other time, except that right now Edward wasn't exactly emotionally stable.

Riza rolled her eyes, "well when he gets back this time make sure he eats something. He can't just go gallivanting off in the snow for hours on end with an empty stomach. And his has been empty for some time."

"Don't worry, we will." Alphonse promised. Silently promising to do a bit more than that. Such as lock his brother in the bedroom at night or something. The one night he gets some sleep at last, and Edward goes off on another trek without telling anyone.

They sat down around the table, Edward's empty seat seeming obvious and distracting to the eye. But eat breakfast they did. And still by the time they had finished and spent a goodly amount of time chatting with each other, Edward hadn't returned.

Not that Roy was expecting him to. He suspected Edward wouldn't come back until dusk at the earliest.

"So are you ready to leave fair England soon and journey back to the land of elephants?" Alphonse asked Riza as he relaxed in his chair cradling a cup of coffee between his hands.

Riza chuckled. "I daresay I am. I came from a pleasant warmth to snow. I am ready to go back and thaw out again."

Roy was intrigued by the thought of no snow. If only the snow would vanish for a time here. "I don't blame you. But I'm glad you left on my account."

"More Edward's account than yours." Riza corrected with a smirk.

"Ouch." Roy complained, but smiled despite the remark. He knew she was beginning to appreciate him.

Alphonse chuckled and finished his coffee quickly. "We better get going then. Else you'll miss your flight out." And he set the cup back onto the table.

Riza stood up in agreement. "I'd rather not miss it. As nice as it's been seeing you again, and meeting you," she nodded to Roy, "I have things to get back to at home."

Roy smiled up at her, and stood as well. "You should come back around and visit sometime."

"Oh don't worry," Riza grinned at him, "Edward never lets me alone for too long. I'll see you again I'm sure before too much time passes. Though it better not be for anything medical, hear? You take care of yourself."

"I plan to." Roy promised, and was determined to hold true to that. He had come too far and given too much to get sick again like that. He was ready for his second chance, and ready to embrace it fully. Nothing could convince him to do otherwise.

Alphonse gave Roy a look that clearly said, "you'd better", before heading towards the doorway. "We best be off then. Roy, you going to stay here and wait for brother to come back?"

Roy nodded, and glanced over to one of the many windows in the kitchen overlooking the backyard. No sign of Edward. "If he comes back while you're gone, I'll be here waiting with leftover breakfast to shove into him."

"Perfect." Riza said, "I'll just go grab my things from upstairs." And she hurried past Alphonse into the hallway.

"Where does brother keep the keys for his car?" Alphonse asked, pausing in the doorway.

Roy thought back quickly, "either on the table next to the coat closet, or in one of the coat pockets. He wore his black one last. The military looking thing. Ironic of him to have, but he looks damn good in it."

Alphonse cracked a smile, but clamped hands over his ears. "Don't go into too much detail now." It was one thing if his brother mentioned something about Roy. Another if Roy mentioned something about his brother.

"Never to you." Roy assured him.

"Good man." Alphonse grinned at him, and gave a partial wave. "I'll be back soon."

Roy watched him go before turning to begin dealing with putting the kitchen into a semblance of organization once more. He may as well make himself useful. Though there was something missing to the cleaning. And he didn't have to think hard on what it was. Before, the cleaning of the kitchen had usually been a joint effort between he and Edward. And without Edward there… the whole flow of something as simple as putting food away was disrupted.

Meanwhile Alphonse had turned up no sign of the car keys.

"You think he left them in the garage or something?" Riza mused aloud, looking down that hallway.

"Could have." Al shrugged, and started off in that direction while being followed by Riza.

But what met Al's eyes when he entered the garage was not just a lack of car keys. But a lack of car. Riza barely had time to follow Alphonse's hasty retreat back inside, hearing his call of, "guess we're calling a taxi!", floating in his wake.

Riza looked at the empty garage, and tried not to feel worried. "Let's just hope you're at work." She mumbled under her breath, and turned to follow Al back inside.

"Roy!" Alphonse spoke quickly as he rounded the corner into the kitchen.

Roy turned immediately, not only hearing, but sensing urgency. "What is it?"

"The car is gone. You didn't hear him say anything about going in to work today or anything, did you?" Alphonse asked as he strode over to the man.

Roy thought about it carefully, but shook his head. "No. He's made no mention. I know where to find Thomas's number though. We can call him and see if he's heard anything."

Al nodded, "first I need to call a taxi. I'll take Riza to the airport, you call Thomas and see if he's seen brother."

Roy shook his head, abandoning his task and stepping after Al who had turned to leave. "No." He said firmly, "I'm going with you."

Alphonse gave him a confused look. "What? Why? You were just bedridden for two days! You should be staying home and resting."

"Because," Roy said in a tone that bore no room for argument, "it's like you've said, I can handle him better. And depending on what's up with him, he may need me. Even if he believes differently. So I'm going. I didn't just promise to give him space and time, I promised Raymond I'd comfort him. And if he's taken off somewhere, even to work, without telling us… he needs comfort and not space right now."

"I see your point." Alphonse conceded, at length. And he turned again. "I'll call the cab. You best get ready to leave."

Not twenty minutes later was a taxi pulling up the driveway of the estate. The driver remained inside, having been instructed by Alphonse on the dangers of a certain herbivore that roamed the area. Riza and Roy loaded her things into the trunk of the car, and soon afterwards they all climbed in.

As the taxi pulled away from the chateau, Roy felt the first twinge of nervousness assail him.

He'd been cautioned against going beyond the gates of the property without Edward. For only Edward could protect him until things settled down. And he believed that. But had things settled down? He did not know. But it was a chance he needed to take.

And really, it wasn't as if he was going to blindly roam the streets of London.

"Are you going to see if he showed up at work after you drop me off?" Riza enquired as the taxi moved swiftly along the streets towards the airport.

It was Roy who got in the first answer. "Yes. Either way, I'm finding him."

Alphonse nodded his agreement. "We'll look for him."

Riza was glad of that. She worried for the blond. But she was a doctor, not a psychiatrist. And when matters such as this occurred, it did little good to try and psychoanalyze the reasons that preempted the behavior. Actions were of the necessity at that point, and actions were just the path Al and Roy would be taking. So while she was worried, she felt assured that they'd turn up Edward somewhere.

**Heathrow Airport**

The taxi pulled up along the curb marked for unloading of passengers.

"Would you like me to wait here, sir?" The cabbie asked, craning his head around to look at Alphonse.

Al shook his head, and passed several folded bills to cover their fare up to the man. "No." And as he got out he explained for Roy who was looking confused. "The rates would only go up for time he spends idling here waiting. Cheaper just to find a new one for the way over to brother's work. From there we could probably get someone to drive us home."

Roy's lips formed an "ah" of understanding, and he helped Riza unload her belongings from the car.

"Thanks." She smiled at him. "I'm surprised you can lift some of this stuff. You are skin and bones after all."

"Way to wound my ego, Riza." Roy rolled his eyes as Alphonse tried to stifle his laughter. "Just be grateful I'm such a gentleman and don't ask questions."

"Come on, or she'll be late." Alphonse grinned, and began to lead the way into the airport.

As Roy entered the crowded place, he instantly stuck close to Alphonse. He didn't want to get separated here. Just in case he had to dodge vendors throwing things at him. He could use Al for a shield. Hey, the man needed to be taken down a few notches for laughing at him.

And really, with his thoughts preoccupied with matters regarding a certain blond haired lover of his, he wasn't in any condition to be dealing with any matters of attempted harm against him.

But Roy stood around and listened as Riza bought a ticket back to Sudan, and watched as she let her bags go away with some strange person who was apparently going to put them on the airplane for her. He thought that was rather helpful of them. There was one thing though that he didn't understand.

What was an airplane?

This question nagged at him all the way over to a cluster of seats where Riza apparently needed to wait. She'd show her boarding pass and then leave to get on her flight. There were windows all around, but he didn't pay any attention to what was beyond them. Instead enjoying his last minutes of being able to talk with Riza.

When a voice from a counter nearby a door called out for passengers boarding a "21C flight", Riza stood.

"That's me then." She said, and quickly gave both men a hug. "Take care of yourselves."

Roy released her with a smile. "You too, Riza. And thanks again."

"You're welcome." She winked at him. "Repay me by finding that troublesome Edward and feeding him."

"I will."

"And I will too." Alphonse added, promise glittering in his eyes.

"Bye for now!" Riza called over her shoulder as she hurried off with a last smile and a wave.

Alphonse and Roy echoed the farewell call, and watched and waited until she'd passed beyond sight.

"That was oddly… nice. Seeing her." Roy murmured to the other man.

Alphonse glanced his way, and smiled. "It always is nice. But as nice as it is, if the person doesn't completely live up to even a shadow of the one we knew… it can be a let down."

"And is your Marta very much like the one you once knew?" Roy asked. He'd not really had much time to speak to Alphonse at any great length about the woman.

With a serene smile, Al nodded. "Yes, very much. I am just glad that she's not in a position this time around where great harm may come to her."

"Do you love her?"

Alphonse's smile did not waver, but he chuckled softly. "Like I told my brother… you'll never know the answer to that question before she does."

"So is that a yes?" Roy grinned mercilessly.

Al groaned, and seized Roy by the arm to begin dragging him back towards the exit/entrance of the airport. "I have no comment. Make no presumption. Plead the American fifth."

"I'll just assume I know what that last part means."

"Contextual clues, sir. Contextual clues."

Roy smirked, and fell silent. If he had to wager a guess… he'd say that if Alphonse hadn't fallen for this reflection, the man was soon on his way to being so. And if that were the case, he could only pass on the parting words Raymond had given him. Let luck go with him, for love seemed to require it at one point or another.

"I figure we'll head to his work…" Alphonse began to plan as they stepped out of the building and began to walk down the sidewalk to where a bunch of taxis were clustered. "Go from there."

Roy figured it to be a good idea. He had no clue where else Edward could have gone. He'd never really been out in London with the man before. Unless… "Al, hold on." He said, pausing where he was.

Alphonse turned. "Yeah?"

"If he's accepting what Raymond had me tell him… I think I might know where he is." And suddenly, it seemed so obvious. "The cemetery they buried Raymond in. He never said a goodbye."

That did make a lot of sense, and Alphonse was quick to bite. "We'll check their first then."

And with renewed ambition and a solid feeling lead, they made their way for the taxis again. Alphonse was just negotiating with one cabbie, when Roy happened to gaze around to his left. And what he saw, made him suddenly grab Al by the arm and tug him away. "Sorry, we're not ready yet." He told the cabbie, and yanked Al off.

"Roy!" Alphonse ground out, wondering what had gotten into him. And Riza was right, he was strong! "What's going on?"

"That!" Roy said, hauled Alphonse to a stop, and pointed dead ahead.

Alphonse swore under his breath, before saying a bit louder, "shit."

In an abutting car park, against a 'No Parking' zone curb, was the black government issue car that should have been parked in the garage at the chateau. Both men were not fool enough to believe it was a different one.

"These airport things... they take you places?" Roy asked with a feeling of dread.

"Lots of places." Alphonse groaned, and clapped a hand to his head. "What the hell is he thinking?!"

Under any other circumstance, Roy might have felt similarly with his choice of words. Or even felt a sense of anger that Edward had clearly run off. But he didn't. He didn't, because he could understand it. He knew how Edward handled matters that caused him pain. Either lash out, or run. And it was clear what choice had been chosen this time. He understood… but again he had been outmaneuvered by the blond. Just as Edward had managed to run off, get drunk off his ass, and ride one of the horses out miles away into the backyard, he'd been left in the dust again.

But this time, he had no tracks to follow.

"Is there any way to find out where he went?" Roy asked suddenly, knowing what he had to do.

Alphonse looked at him in surprise. "Yes…"

Roy nodded, and turned to him. "Then do it. I have to go after him. This reminds me far too much of something else he's done before, and just like then, I can't just stay idle and hope he comes back!"

For a moment, Al looked as if he may argue, but finally, he nodded. "I'll do what I can to find out and get you on an airplane after him."

"Good."

The two of them quickly hurried back into the airport, Roy somewhat trailing after Al who seemed to have a clear destination in mind. He didn't want to impede. Their destination ended up being the ticket counter.

"Excuse me." Alphonse said as he approached one of the free workers. A female about in her twenties with bobbed and curled hair. "I am looking for my brother, I have reason to believe he purchased a ticket to somewhere. Could you help me?"

She smiled at him, "I know you. You came in here a while back with that brother, at least I think that was who it was. Ticket to Toronto if I recall."

"Yes." Al agreed immediately in haste. "Have you seen him? It's very urgent."

The woman gave him an apologetic smile. "My shift just began an hour ago and I didn't see him. But hold on, let me go ask one of the other girls who just got off her shift. She shouldn't have left yet, she may have seen him."

"Thank you." Alphonse smiled at her gratefully, and watched as she hustled off. But he turned to Roy now. "Do you have any ideas? I can think of hundreds of places he could go."

Roy was silent as he considered whether or not he might. And slowly, he began to nod. "I think I do… let's see first what your ticket friend can turn up."

And so they waited anxiously for her return.

When at last she did return, she was smiling and bearing good news. "Amy said he bought a ticket from the girl she was working with last night. Last flight of the night to Italy."

Roy nodded, "then I know where he is."

"Of course…" Al whispered. "Why didn't I think of it before?!" And he rounded on Roy, "you're going after him?"

"Yes." There was no arguing that, and no changing his mind. Roy knew where Edward had gone, and he was going after him. He needed to be there for Edward, that much was clear to him.

Alphonse studied him for a moment, and then nodded before turning back to the woman helping them. "When does the next fight leave for Italy?"

She checked for him, running a finger down the list. "There's one in half an hour. How many will you be wanting?"

"One." Roy said firmly, and met Al's questioning look. "I need to do this on my own. Brothers have no place here. No offense."

Al nodded at last. "One." And he drew out his wallet to pay.

The exchange was made, and soon Roy found himself the bearer of a boarding pass to Italy.

"Brother will have to get you back into the country, but he shouldn't have a problem managing that." Alphonse said as he led the way towards the proper gate.

"You seemed more frustrated with yourself than you should have been back there when she told us where Edward had gone. What was that about?" Roy finally questioned, not caring at all about the particulars of his returning. He already knew Edward would throw weight around when necessary.

Alphonse looked over at him, and gave what might have been a half-hearted smile. "Raymond's house is on the outskirts of Perugia in the forest along the side of one of the mountains. Considering the state of things… he probably went there."

It clicked for Roy. Hadn't Raymond said that Edward had the keys to the house in question? And that all his possessions had been willed to Edward? But he'd never seen such documentation come… which puzzled him. And yet, Edward had hid that gun away all those years. What wasn't to say that Edward had more things hidden somewhere? "How do I get there?"

"Well, once you land at the Ciampino airport in Rome you'll need to get on one of the trains heading up to Perugia. I'll give you money for it. Once you're there you'll have to ask around where the house is. I was never there myself… I just know it's there." Alphonse explained.

"Got it." Roy said, and accepted some money to join his boarding pass.

Alphonse finally stopped near another cluster of waiting chairs. The other people gathered there were already looking as if they were anticipating getting on the plane soon. "Just use those old alchemist wits. You'll be fine without anyone keeping an eye on you."

Roy nodded, he wasn't about to let anyone stand in his way. Not about this. He'd get tackled down again before he gave up, and he still wouldn't. "Just one thing…"

"Hmm?"

"What's an airplane?"

That earned a burst of laughter from Alphonse, and he gave Roy a sort of wicked grin. "Come over this way." He said, and guided Roy over to the other side of the door where more windows were located. And he pointed, still sporting the wicked grin. "_That_, is an airplane."

Roy swallowed, hard. And suddenly he felt as if he might collapse again just from sheer panic. "That?" He repeated weakly, and was sure he turned green around the edges.

Al gave him a wondrous look. "I thought brother was joking when he told me… but you really _are_ scared of big things, aren't you."

Roy managed a nod, and suddenly had to go sit in one of the nearby chairs. The entire time, he kept his gaze riveted on the airplane. That large, metal beast of a craft. "Animals… mostly." But something that looked like that? "It stays on the ground… so I should be fine…" but when he heard Alphonse fight back another laugh, he grew wary. He had a sinking feeling about this. "It does stay on the ground, right?"

"No." Alphonse sat down next to him. Secretly he was rather fascinated by Roy's fear. He'd really never considered the man capable of being afraid of _anything_. Which was of course ridiculous, everyone was afraid of _something_. It's just some people you thought of as… immune to the commonalities of the human specie. "Airplanes fly. In the air. They're like metal birds, and they transport things around."

"That… thing…" Roy managed to say through a suddenly paper-dry throat. "I get on it, and it goes up into the air?"

Alphonse nodded, looking a bit concerned. "You going to be okay?"

It took Roy a mustering of effort to break from his paralysis, but he nodded. Firmly. "I may vomit on landing… but…" flashes of gold visions danced in front of his eyes, too faint to be hallucinations, but there all the same, "I have to go to him. I've braved a horse to go find him once before… I'll do this too."

"They have sick bags if you need them." Alphonse informed him helpfully.

"Wonderful." Roy had a feeling that there might be a fifty percent chance he'd need one. And a fifty percent chance his mind would take him to a "happy place". Happy places being thoughts of a certain blond brat and the strange, terrible, wonderful life they'd known together.

And then the woman standing near the doorway called out for those boarding the flight.

Alphonse stood after Roy had, and clapped the man on the shoulder in what might have been termed a brotherly fashion. "Remember what I said about how to get there?"

Roy took a deep breath for both courage and an antidote against his nerves, and nodded. "From the airport to the train. Get off in Perugia, and ask where Raymond's house is. I've got it." He swallowed hard as he looked again at the airplane. Courage. He must have courage.

His hand gripped a bit tighter around his boarding pass, and Roy steeled himself before walking forward with a purposeful stride. He had made it through the horrors of alchemic war, and ridden off on a horse to find Edward before. He could do this. He had to do this.

"Good luck." Alphonse called softly after him, not wanting to break the obvious focus the man had set about himself.

Roy handed his boarding pass to the woman checking tickets, and ignored her wide-eyed look. When he was allowed through, he spared her a jerk of a nod, and stared down the metal chute leading out onto the tarmac where they'd then board the airplane from a flight of steps he'd seen descend from the body of the craft while he'd been waiting in line. Closing his eyes briefly, he summoned that flighty thing called courage, and stepped through.

Alphonse breathed out a breath he'd been holding, and walked over to one of the windows so he could be sure Roy got onto the plane without trouble.

At the foot of the stairs coming out of the side of the airplane that looked ten times larger up close, Roy forced himself to grip the railing with a trembling hand. His eyesight seemed to go into tunnel vision, and he walked up the stairs, imagining they did not lead into some metal airplane that was going to be taking off into the air. Who in their right mind enjoyed being so high up trapped in a giant soda can?! It was bad enough it was so big…

As he passed into the cabin, he turned down a narrow aisle and quickly planted himself in an empty seat. As it turned out, it was the one nearest the exit, and farthest from a window. He clasped his hands in his lap to try and still their shaking, and he bore holes into the floor with his gaze. He was unwilling to look up. So far, he was beginning to think he might actually prefer the size of horses over this.

"Flame…" he whispered to himself, finding it odd he'd think of her at a time like this. And yet… if there ever were a horse that he believed he could feel safe around, it was her. A baby though she still was.

So wrapping himself in thoughts of his duckling, and his Edward, he managed not to hurl when the plane began to move with roars of the twin engines.

It was barely managed.

From the window of the airport, Alphonse watched as the plane taxied off out of sight, heading for the runway. Only once it was gone did he turn from the window and begin to make his way out of the airport. Silently, he wished Roy good luck once more.

Meanwhile on the runway…

Roy was gripping onto the armrests, knuckles white, and mouth open in a silent scream as the airplane shot across the runway like a hell creature and suddenly tipped into the air. He was fairly sure a scream managed to escape him at the point he was flung back into his seat by the momentum of the airplane shooting up vertically into the air.

He was going to _kill_ Edward!

If this damn contraption didn't kill him first.

He was shaking visibly as the plane finally leveled out, and ceased the rumbling shaking. His hands still gripped their armrests, and he ignored the looks he was getting from other passengers. But when the stewardess came over to ask him if he was all right, he could no longer hold back. "All right? All right?! I just got catapulted into the air inside a soup can, and you're asking me if I'm _all right_?! Of _course_ I'm all right! What's wrong with _you_?!"

The stewardess planned to avoid him for the rest of the flight as she cleared her throat and went about her duties.

Roy was left to trying to regain his "happy place".

**Perugia – Italy**

It was late morning, a day and a half since he'd left England, when Edward finally reached the small high-in-the-hills city. He had driven since he'd landed earlier the past evening. He was sure that by now Alphonse and Roy were suspecting he hadn't gone for a walk and just camped out somewhere. Or had been coming back and going out before they noticed him. It had been nice to fantasize about such a thing, but he knew it was just that. A fantasy.

Yet this was something he needed to do. It didn't involve them, this was his wrong to make right. So he'd chosen to leave them entirely in the blank. He didn't regret his decision. He doubted they'd understand… or maybe they would. He really wasn't sure. It had just been a long time since he'd run off without telling anyone he was going anywhere. He'd just apologize when he got back.

And tell Roy he loved him…

Edward let out a whisper of a sigh, and his hands gripped harder to the steering wheel. Roy… he missed Roy. But he would do what he came here to do, and go back. Never to seek being parted from the man again. He knew that Roy understood why he had needed space, and time. But it still didn't make him feel any less guilty about being parted from him. Especially right after Roy had woken up from his collapse.

But when were his decisions ever easy? Few and far between were.

"I'll be back soon, Roy." He promised.

He didn't stop anywhere in town, just drove on through. It was his favorite place in this entire world, and he always loved coming here. Mostly for the architecture, art, scenery, and chocolate. But to him, it all made it the most romantic city in the world. Not even Paris could compare for him. There was just an atmosphere here… and he basked in it.

But not today.

Today his destination lay beyond the normal places for him to become lost in. No visits to his favorite places to eat, or the streets that he so enjoyed walking down. He kept the car to the few roads reserved and wide enough for vehicles, and headed past the city and off onto a road cutting up higher into these hills and mountains. It was a dirt road, covered with shade, ice, and snow, so he was forced to keep the car slow.

Thus the normally ten minute drive took him almost half an hour. But he recalled where to turn off onto a side road cutting out towards the outside periphery of the mountain he was driving on, and drove the last few miles until he reached his destination.

He put the car in park, and sat there with it idling as he gazed upon the one place he never thought he'd see again. Even if it was in the jurisdiction of his favorite place to visit. The outer wall was mostly rose-flecked stone, and rose a good eight feet into the air. The main gate was made of wrought iron bars, flanked by two gas lamps of a century past. The gate was chained shut and padlocked. Ivy had already taken over much of the outer wall and the gate, and died during the winter, so the view past the bars was hindered. But not barred entirely. He couldn't see the house from here, but he could see the sprawling yard that was covered in snow. He imagined that most of the year this place was overgrown.

He could see no sign of vandalism, and he really hadn't been expecting any. Though he was glad not to find such a thing.

At last, he got out of the car, a ring of keys in his hand.

Walking through the snow over to the gates he knocked away most of the dead ivy and unlocked the padlock. It took a moment of wiggling the frozen contraption into doing so, but he managed. Pulling it off he then unwound the chains, feeling that they clanged a bit too loudly in the silence of the area.

Tossing the padlock and the chains over the gate, Edward worked on coaxing one of the gates to open. He shoved it open enough to pull the car through, but instead of going back to get the car right away, he stopped and looked around.

There was hardly as much property as he had back in England, but there wasn't much that could ever have been done about that. After all, the house was on a mountainside. But the trees, leaves shed for winter, still remained. He could see the buildup of dried and dead foliage beneath the covering of snow. The driveway he only remembered the location of by memory. For like everything else, it was covered in much snow. The house itself looked frozen in time. Aside from the snow, it still stood as he remembered it without any visible weather damage. The only thing missing from how he'd seen it last, was the lighting that bathed the outer walls in a golden glow at night when the parties were in full swing.

Now the house stood unlit, empty.

But everything else was the same, from the single turret against the part of the house that acted as the foyer. To the varying levels of the house. It was more… three houses molded into one, but done so with such artistry as to give Levitsky or Rembrandt muse. He stared at it a moment longer, before turning to go fetch the car.

He drove it up to the front door, and shut it off. He didn't bother with the gates, there would be no one who came to bother him. No one from town would think to come here. He was worlds away as far as other people were concerned.

Edward got out, and looked up at the house, but didn't move to go inside. No, instead he walked around the left side, knowing where the tool shed was. It seemed that for starters, he'd need a snow shovel. He found the shed unlocked, but untouched, and banked with snow. After moving enough out of his way, he was able to get the door open and look around for the snow shovel. He found it, grabbed it, and made his way towards the back of the house where the stone walls ended, and the steep incline down the mountain began.

Raymond had decided to leave it open for the view… and Edward couldn't blame him.

Up this high, this close to the edge… it felt as if you were standing on clouds looking out over everything. And he had fond memories of doing just that before. Memories he'd cursed and chased away. Memories he could once again start to bear.

It had been so long ago since he'd last been here…

"_And the angel rejoins the sky."_

That's what Raymond had said to him when the man had found him in this exact place, looking out over the view as the setting sun painted the horizon red and gold, and a sun pillar shone up against the gathering twilight that had eventually chased it and sun away. He had laughed, commenting that the man had had too much to drink and should step away from the edge. And truthfully, Raymond had had too much to drink.

"Seems you beat me there." Edward said as he turned away and began to find a suitable place to clear the snow.

Shovelful by shovelful he pitched snow aside until he had cleared a large section of ground of the hard-packed powder. It was hard work, but he didn't mind it. It kept him warm, and he had never been adverse to hard work. Especially for a good cause. And this, was a good cause.

Nothing else could have made him run off like he had.

Once he was done with the snow he returned to the tool shed to put the snow shovel away. He was trying to find a hoe that wasn't rusted up too badly when he paused. He'd heard something out in the snow. And while it was probably just a deer, he turned around to go check it out. Walking back around to the front of the house, he didn't spot a deer, but he smiled as he did spot what, or rather who, was there.

The elderly man standing near to the car brightened visibly as he saw the blond man come around the corner. The shadows of wrinkle lines on his face seemed to disappear, and he laughed while raising his arms out. "Edward!"

Edward chuckled, and walked forward to meet the old man halfway and exchange a quick embrace. "Baldoni, how are you?"

"Curious as to what finally brought you back here." The man's eyes twinkled, "but happy to see you. When Simone said she thought she saw you heading onto this road… well, I'm glad she saw right."

"She saw right." Edward smiled rather wryly, and looked around. "I'll stop in at town later. I have a business visit to make to Roland."

Baldoni was confused at that, and looked it as well. "Roland? Why him?"

Edward gestured around at where they were. "Why do you think?"

"Ah." Baldoni smiled sadly, "and what are your feelings on him now? Why did you come here?"

"Closing a chapter of my life." Edward said flatly, and shook his head. "And if I'm visiting Roland, you can imagine my feelings have… changed." He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't feel hate anymore."

Baldoni looked around, and then back to Edward. "It's just as he left it to you. None of us tread here… except for right now." He grinned, and then clapped Edward on the shoulder. "But I will leave you to your redemption. But at least come to the café later to get something to eat. There won't be anything edible inside those halls."

"Thank you." Edward smiled back at him, and as Baldoni turned with a wave to head back to the gates and back to town, he had to wonder if redemption was an adequate word for what he was seeking, or doing.

Deciding not to think about it, he turned to go back and try again to find a suitable hoe.

Once he had found one that was not as rusted over and liable to be more dangerous than helpful, Edward shouldered it and stepped his way back through the snow towards the ground he'd cleared. After making sure he had his angle correct for the line of dirt he was going to chunk away, he began to slice it away. At least here the hardened ground was actually rather nice. Sure, soft soil was easier. But with it being so hard-packed and frozen, it came away more cleanly. And he dug a four inch wide by fourteen inch long gash in the dirt that reached down approximately six inches. He figured that would be deep enough to be stable.

Now that the clearing and digging was done, Edward decided it was time to pay that visit to Roland. He put the hoe away, and closed up the tool shed. And going back to the car he started the engine and backed out of the drive and onto the road. He didn't bother with closing the gates. He believed Baldoni when the man said that none tread there. He just turned the car around and headed back towards town.

He parked the vehicle in one of the few places nearest the place he needed to go, and got out to walk the rest of the way there. Along the way he passed along the narrow but inviting streets, and greeted just about everyone. Only those few people new to the town, or visitors, did not greet him. But at nearly every corner his destination was impeded by people rushing to him happily to hug him, or press into his hands fresh flowers.

By the time he reached Roland's shop, his hands were full of flowers.

"I heard you were back." The hefty Italian called Roland beamed as he sauntered over to crush Edward into a hug.

"Word gets around fast in this town." Edward grinned as he popped some ribs back into place.

"True." Roland nodded sagaciously. And his green eyes grew curious as he watched the blond wander around the shelves in the shop that displayed his creations. Both of rock and wood. Figurines, practical items such as carved wooden chairs, wind chimes. "I think I can guess why you're here if it's true that you went up to the castle."

"It's no castle. I live in England, I've seen castles." Edward said, flicking at a wind chime and listening to the gentle music it created. "But I went there, yes."

Roland slowly nodded as he walked behind his counter where the till and several other items sat for display. From beneath it he pulled out a large sheet of paper and grabbed a pencil for sketching. "Give me the particulars."

Edward walked over to do so.

And the initial sketch was soon completed.

"Just simple like that?" Roland asked, jabbing at it.

Edward nodded, "yes, simple. He wouldn't have wanted anything fancy."

"Words?"

Now that… Edward turned away and walked slowly over to the window with his hands in his pockets. Words… as he looked around the streets visible to him, he felt that sense of peace steal over him. The peace he rarely felt anywhere but here, and with Roy.

"Edward?"

"Let it say his name…" Edward began slowly, as if putting careful thought into each syllable. "And let it say, 'the angel rejoins the sky'."

Roland smiled, and sketched the words onto the paper. "I heard a story with those words before. A long time ago. Anything else you wish for it to say?"

"No." Edward turned with a shadow of a smile. "That's all. When can I pick it up?"

"I should have it done by later this afternoon." Roland said, and gathered up the paper. "Check back in by two."

Edward nodded, and stepped for the door. "Thank you… I think I'm going to go take Baldoni up on his offer of food. I'll stop by later to pick it up."

And he left the shop with Roland waving him out. He had nearly forgotten to grab his flowers again from where he'd set them on a stool, but he wandered down to the café with flowers in hand. Perugia had been designed to be confusing as far as streets went. But for Edward, he walked them without confusion. He had come here often enough in the past, and he never really forgot a place. So he soon found himself at the café where he was greeted happily by Simone, Baldoni's daughter.

"You haven't eaten in days?" She gasped, happiness giving way to concern as Simone found _that_ out.

Edward shook his head, flushing just a bit. "I've been… well, it's just been a hard few days past. My stomach hasn't wanted to cooperate."

Simone clucked her tongue at him. "Then you're getting more than your coffee. I'm going to find you a large piece of one of the best of the lasagnas for today's lunch rush. And you're going to eat it. Every single bite of delicious fattening pasta. Clear?"

Edward gulped, knowing far better than to argue. And he was sure he did need to eat. "Women are scary." He said morosely.

"Remember it well." Simone smirked at him, and leaned down to kiss his hair in a motherly fashion before sweeping away.

Edward did not have to wait long for said scary woman to come back bearing the largest slice of lasagna he'd ever seen, and a cup of coffee. "Geez, Simone, all that's going to put me into food shock."

"No, that's what will happen when I send you over to the gelateria." She grinned at him, and waved one of her now empty hands to the food. "Start eating."

"Was I mean to you in a past life?" Edward said as he picked up his fork.

"Evil." Simone assured him, still smirking. And only once Edward had chewed and swallowed his first bite did she smile and leave. She needn't worry about him finishing… one bite was all it had taken.

Edward could suddenly not eat fast enough. He hadn't realized how starved he was, and each bite tasted like a slice of heavenly bliss, and felt just as good as it slid down his throat. He hadn't eaten properly in four days. Hadn't eaten at all for almost over two now. And as he ate ravenously, he silently sent his thanks out to Simone for being as scary as she was.

His coffee sat ignored.

**Ciampino Airport – Rome**

Roy's knuckles had turned white again, the airplane was now going down very quickly, and he was fairly sure he had screamed again. The airplane was rattling around him, sounding near to disintegrating around him. And he was fairly sure he saw visions of angels waiting for him with open arms. "I'm going to die!" He quietly screamed to himself.

When the tires of the airplane first bumped the tarmac, Roy nearly emptied his stomach into the seat next to him. Only fear kept it from happening.

He was a shaking bundle of nerves when the airplane finally stopped, and as the stewardess asked for them to file out in an orderly fashion, Roy bolted for it. He didn't listen to her annoyed shout after him.

As Roy stepped down onto the tarmac, he quite nearly collapsed to his knees. "I _hate_ airplanes! What's _wrong_ with this world?!" And then he was bolting for the building of the airport. "Train! Need a train!" He needed to find out where the trains were. There was no time to waste, and the faster he got on a train, the faster he could get away from that airplane death trap.

The stewardess, and several passengers already disembarked, watched as the man ran off, wondering what in the hell was wrong with him.

Roy eventually found a train, someone who spoke English, and finally found the correct train that would take him to Perugia. He paid for his ticket, and boarded with relief. Trains were so much safer. They didn't go up in the air and experience turbulence.

And so he settled in for his train ride. It would take several hours, he wouldn't get there until mid-afternoon. But get there he would. Leaning up against the cool window, he resigned himself to trying to relax before he got there. Edward didn't need him as a basket case right now. He had a few hours to recover from his airplane flight, so recover he would.

**Perugia – Italy**

The entire train ride, Roy had been thinking of how he'd manage to find Edward and this house of Raymond's before the townspeople mobbed him. Certainly out of anyone, the people the man had lived among would have been hurt a great deal as well. And not knowing the language these people spoke, it made it difficult to try and determine what their plan of attack might be.

But beyond that, he'd also been thinking of Edward. He tried forming ideas on how he'd approach the blond, try and comfort him. But it was like trying to hold water. It slipped through his fingers, leaving him with only the option to see what happened. Because really, he didn't know the situation, and didn't know yet just what Edward was thinking or feeling at this moment.

He only hoped that he could help make things better.

When the train puffed into the station and squealed to a halt, Roy looked out the window to be greeted with the sight of a snow covered city all around them. But it wasn't a city like London, or Amestris. It was… completely unexpected. And he wasn't quite sure how to describe it.

But nevertheless, he got off the train, and tried to get his sense of direction about him. Looking around, he saw where the mountains rose up further. So Raymond's house must lie in that direction.

"Worth a shot." Roy muttered to himself, and began to head down one of the wider streets with a quick step. He could sightsee the city Edward had fallen in love with later. Right now, he had an Edward to find.

He had rounded a few more streets, gone into dead ends several times, and walked in a circle once before he realized this city had tricks up its sleeve. He was beginning to think he might need to try that asking for directions thing when out of nowhere a woman, perhaps in her thirties, walked up from his side and took him by the arm.

Roy immediately tried to dislodge her as politely as possible. "Excuse me, I-"

"Shush." She smiled up at him, and tugged at his arm. "You look just like him… I know who you're here for though. And he doesn't lie in that direction."

Roy blinked at her, but obeyed the next tug on his arm. "Who am I here for?"

"Edward Elric, of course." She smiled at him, and linked her arm with his. "What's your name? I admit it was a shock to a lot of us seeing someone who looked like Raymond here. When word reached me I knew I had to find you and bring you to him."

"Roy…" he answered after a moment. "Raymond was my half-brother."

She winked over in his direction. "I can see the family resemblance."

"You know where Edward is?"

"Yes."

"And who are you?"

"Simone." She replied smoothly, and led her charge around another corner where more people stared at Roy.

Roy nodded slowly, and looked around before turning back to her. "No one here is angry with me… why? They look… almost happy."

Simone laughed richly. "We here do not hate your brother. He did far too much for us, and was far too good a man to deserve our hate. And perhaps, we did not know him well enough to be hurt and learn hate. But you are most welcome here, Roy."

Roy hummed to himself for a moment as he thought about that. And then asked, "how is Edward?"

"Fed, at last." She smirked with pride. "But he's been sitting at the same café table for several hours now. Just sits there staring at the coffee he hasn't touched yet. We all kind of know why he's here, why he went up to your brother's place. But why are you here so late after his arrival?"

"I was worried." Roy decided that was a safe enough answer. It didn't reveal too much.

"Well," Simone smiled, and eased them to a stop. "There he is."

Roy looked, and he saw instantly she was right. He didn't notice her pull away from him. He was too busy feeling a multitude of emotions flood him, relief not among the least of which. Edward was sitting mostly with his back to him, his posture looking tired. Had Edward not slept at all lately? Feeling his heart soften, Roy walked forward. Somehow, he knew. Somehow he could feel that he had been right.

Edward needed to be comforted right now.

Edward's hands continued to slowly spin the coffee cup between them. His eyes were completely riveted on the dark liquid as it swirled about. So much so that he didn't notice he was no longer alone until a figure came into his peripheral vision. And he looked up, believing it was someone else from around town wanting to greet him. But who he saw there, was not at all who he ever would have expected.

His jaw dropped, eyes widened, and he sat there, stupidly speechless and frozen.

Roy dropped down to one knee, reaching up to draw Edward's hands down away from the cup. "Are you okay?" He asked softly, gazing up into the shocked golden eyes, and feeling relieved to be seeing them again.

Edward wasn't sure he'd ever felt this way before. He couldn't even describe it. Was it pain, was it happiness? What? He couldn't figure it out. Only that he knew it was consuming him. And he had several false starts before he found his voice again. "I'm sorry." He whispered, and before he could even follow the movement, Roy had stood and in the process lifted him to his feet as well. As he was pulled into a tight hug, he found himself returning it with fierce intensity. As if afraid Roy would try to get away. "Forgive me."

Roy sighed though his nose, and only held Edward tighter. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I should be… but I'm just glad I found you. You're going to be the death of me you know, causing me all these nerve wracking trips." He realized how much he'd missed being able to touch Edward. And now he was all too willing to hold onto him, never let him go. And with Edward seemingly feeling the same, no longer demanding space… he was incredibly happy.

Edward felt himself smile, and took a deep breath. He'd missed Roy so badly, missed how he smelled. He loved that smell. "I love you." He whispered for the man's ears alone. Somewhere in the back of his mind it still registered that they were out in public, and probably not alone.

Roy wasn't sure he could ever tire of hearing those words. It had been too long since he'd heard them. "I love you too." He whispered back. "Why did you run off?"

At that, Edward reluctantly pulled away. "It was something I had to do on my own. Because of what you said." And he glanced around, and seeing that they were being stared at, sat down while motioning for Roy to do similar.

Roy did sit, as reluctant as he was to give up Edward being in his arms. There were some things that needed to be said, and questions that needed answering. So for now, those took precedence. "What did I say?"

Edward took the coffee cup into his hands again, and began to spin it once more. "Second chances… you finally cast off your shadow. But it made me realize that I have my own to shed." He met Roy's eyes now. "That's why I'm here, why I ran off. Because it was something I needed to do on my own. Raymond gave his life for me, and I hated him because he let me believe the worst of him. But I realized on that walk I took that for everything he did for me… I did nothing. I even tried to not have him buried at all. Sure, it made sense at the time… but if I'm ever to be rid of this guilt, I have to do this."

"Do what?" Roy frowned at him.

"I can't do anything about what's already happened. But I can correct one of those wrongs, and give him a proper headstone. That's why I'm here. To give him a memorial."

"Then let me be there for it too."

"Why?" Edward blinked at him in shock.

"Because I had a part to play in some of that mess too." Roy reminded him. "So we'll do this together."

Edward could only stare at him wordlessly for a moment, before he gave a small smile and nod. Roy had a point… and really, it would be nice having Roy there. He'd missed his lover, felt guilty about imposing that space onto them, and found himself unwilling to be parted from Roy again. "Together." Yes… that's how he wanted to stay.

At that moment, Simone walked over to them bearing another cup of coffee, for Roy. As well as two foil wrapped items that she set in front of each of them with a wink. "Enjoy."

Edward blushed and gaped after her, but fell to shaking his head with a quiet laugh.

Roy watched the blond's reaction, confused. "I don't get it. What are these?" He asked, picking up the one before him.

"Bacio chocolates." Edward smiled, still a bit red, and picked his up. "I love these… but it was the way she said 'enjoy' and that wink…"

"You think she suspects I'd like to do more than hug you?" Roy asked him softly in a wicked tone as he unwrapped the foil.

"That and…" Edward paused. "Well, wait until you read it."

"Read?" But Roy's question died as soon as he'd finished unwrapping the chocolate. There was a small slip of paper inside. Ignoring the chocolate for a moment, he picked it up and tried to read it. But it was in a language he couldn't understand. So he passed it to Edward's waiting hand.

"Love knows no language." Edward whispered softly, and then read: "L'amore osserva non con gli occhi, ma con la mente." And he gave a bit of a laugh before handing it back to Roy. "It means, 'love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind'."

"That's stupid." Roy frowned at the strange words.

"That's Shakespeare." Edward countered, finding some perverse pleasure in the fact that Roy wouldn't know who Shakespeare was. Unless of course, he'd paid attention to the books in his library.

Roy set the paper down, and popped the chocolate into his mouth. Instantly delighting in the rich chocolate flavor. And he savored it, while watching as Edward read his, and the pocketed it. "What did it say?" He asked curiously.

Edward gave a nervous laugh, and looked at Roy. "It was handwritten. Telling me to kiss you."

Roy's eyes widened, and before he could question to be sure he'd heard that right, Edward had half-risen from his chair to lean over the table and capture his lips in a kiss that made all coherent thought leave him in a flash. And he kissed Edward back with just as much passion, not having known his lover's lips in far too long. When they finally came up for air, Roy watched in amazement as Edward sat back down looking both embarrassed and amusedly proud of himself. "I thought you didn't want anyone to know…"

"They clearly already do, and if they didn't, they do now." Edward laughed, and smiled at Roy. "But don't worry, they'll say nothing. It's just another Luisa and Giovanni story to them. But I have a feeling that they'll change the names a bit for our legend, to give us peace."

"There's something I'm missing about those chocolates, isn't there." Roy realized, and fiddled with the paper and the foil wrapper.

Edward nodded, and smiled at him in a happy, far-off sort of way. "A love story. The notes inside are love notes. There were two families who owned Perugina chocolate, and Luisa was the wife of one of the founders. She started having an affair with the son of her husband's business partner. His name was Giovanni. And every morning Luisa would place a love note beneath his coffee, and some chocolates, and take it to him. It caused Giovanni to change the shape and name of the chocolates, calling them Bacio, and put a love note in each. "

"And what happened to Luisa?" Roy asked, beginning to warm up to the chocolates.

Edward smiled, and looked away. "I've never asked." And he quickly drained his now cold coffee before standing up. "Come on, it should be nearly time for Roland to be done with that headstone. He works fast."

Roy nodded and finished his slightly warmer coffee before following after Edward. And as they passed by Simone, he mouthed a silent 'thank you' to her, which she returned with another wink before vanishing into the indoor of the café.

By the time they had reached Roland's shop, Roy had somehow been coerced into holding Edward's flowers. Flowers he couldn't help but laugh at when he was informed of how they were acquired. "Only you, Ed."

Edward grinned at him happily, before entering the shop. "Roland?" He called out, holding the door for Roy until the man was through.

Roland appeared from the backroom, dusting his hands of stone dust. "Just in ti- diavolo!" His eyes had lit onto Roy. "So it is true…"

Roy smiled at him, a bit awkwardly. "Hi… I'm Roy."

"The likeness is uncanny. A bit thin, but uncanny." Roland marveled, walking closer.

Edward tried not to laugh, and Roy tried not to glare at Edward for his mediocre attempts at it.

"Sorry, Roland," Edward finally managed to choke down his laughter. "Is my order done?"

Roland nodded. "And good thing you have help now. It will be heavy." And he vanished back into the back room to fetch the completed headstone and wrap it in a sturdy cloth.

"Have him help." Roy crossed his arms with a fake pout. "I'm too skinny."

Edward laughed again, and stepped over to run his hands up Roy's arms. "But you are strong. You can lift me up, and I have automail. And no one else better discover just how strong you are, I'd be very jealous."

Roy rolled his eyes. "You and your arguments. I swear they're somehow fixed so I lose."

"But you love me." Edward winked, and kissed the corner of his mouth before drawing away as he heard Roland coming back.

"I do." Roy smiled at him, and gave a shake of his head. He really did love Edward. Very much. He'd braved an airplane for him.

"And you're really not mad at me?" Edward asked, his face turning worried in expression.

Roy shook his head. "No. As far as I'm concerned, everything is okay now. I just need to know you're okay. And know when you've accepted everything and are ready to be like we were."

"I'm okay." Edward replied softly. "Just let me do this one last thing… need for space is up. I just need this last bit of time."

The two of them collected the headstone from Roland, and between them, bore it out the shop. Roy still somehow carrying the flowers as well. Though he did keep threatening to toss them aside. Much to Edward's annoyance. And they made it to the car at last. Just a little more out of breath than before.

After loading in the headstone they climbed inside, and Edward started the car to begin driving back towards the dirt road that would lead him back to Raymond's house. And even if it did belong to him now… he still could never think of it as his.

"This is a cute car." Roy remarked, looking around the tiny automobile.

"Yes, it is." Edward smirked a bit, and then suddenly it hit him full speed. The questions he should have asked Roy when the man first shown up. "Hang on, how did you know where I was? And how did you get to me?" He asked, sparing Roy a glance before turning back to navigating the tricky road.

Roy decided to answer the least-queasy one first. "When Al and I dropped Riza off at the airport, we were getting ready to leave and all of a sudden, there's your car. He asked around, and we found out which country you'd gone to. I knew where to go from there. Alphonse just provided me some directions and money."

"I didn't think about that at all…" Edward muttered aloud. "My secrecy skills officially suck now."

"Well you are getting a bit old." Roy teased with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Hey! You're the one who's going to get gray hair first." Edward scowled, but felt the urge to smile even so.

Roy rolled his eye, "I'm surprised I'm not completely gray already. Considering the stress you put me through with things like this running off habit of yours. I'm going to need to get a bell and tie it to your leg like they do for children who sleepwalk."

Edward winced a bit guiltily at that. He had put Roy through a lot, even when he was a teenager. And when Roy had ridden on Jasper to come find him? He couldn't image how many gray hairs that was worth to Roy. But suddenly he looked over sharply. "Stress… what happened this time? How'd you… oh… you! Oh…"

"Yes, 'oh'." Roy agreed grimly. "I hate airplanes. Scariest things ever. Even scarier than horses." And he was very adamant about it. "I even screamed a few times, I'll have you know. You're insane, all of you are. Wanting to ride in one of those."

Edward giggled, and edged away from Roy's glare. "You got on an airplane for me?"

Roy shifted in his seat, but reached over to lay his hand on Edward's thigh. "Apparently I love you more than I am scared of big animals or big unsafe metal flying things. Can't understand why…"

Edward snorted, and took one hand off the wheel to lay it over Roy's so as to keep it there. He was beginning to practically ache for Roy's touch. He hadn't felt it in so long. And every bit he got he soaked up. "We'll take a train to France then, and cross over to England in a boat. Will that be better for you? I won't make you get on an airplane again."

"Thank you." Roy sighed in relief. He hadn't been thinking about the return trip, but now that Edward mentioned it… he was glad the blond had foresight.

"No…" Edward replied quietly, "thank you… for finding me."

"You're welcome."

The rest of the drive was quiet for them, but partly because Edward needed his wits about him for navigating the road. Soon enough, however, they were pulling past the gates to Raymond's house and pulling up the drive.

"He told me something… if we were ever to come here." Roy said as he looked out the window, examining the house while the car began to slow.

"And what's that?" Edward asked, rather calmly he felt.

Roy smiled over at him. "He wanted you to take the wine with you. He didn't want it to go bad, apparently he spent a lot of money on it."

Edward blinked at him, as if trying to figure out what to make of such a request, before laughing shortly and shrugging his shoulders. "Guess I'll be going inside then after all." He let out a deep breath. "Oh well. The wine is worth it… he always did have the best vintages."

"The inside…" Roy looked back at it again, "is there a place with black pillars that seem to go on forever? And frescos and such?"

Edward too looked at the house, having to crouch a bit in his seat to do so. "Not forever. But there is such a place, yes. It would have been the room where he kept all his sculptures. He had quite a collection, worthy of any art museum. Is that where you two had met?"

Roy nodded silently.

"Then we'll go see it." Edward said, and got out of the car. "But first thing first."

Roy followed him out of the car, and together they hefted the headstone out. Edward led the way backwards around the side of the house towards where he'd cleared the ground and dug the trench in which to set the stone. It would have been easy, if not for the thick snow impeding any quick pace. And when they got there they were both only too glad to shed off the cloth wrapped around it, and ease it into the ground.

Together they made sure that it was stable, packing in the dirt around it.

Only then did they both step back to look at it. Reading Raymond's name etched deep into the stone to stand against the test of the weathering elements. But it was the inscription down below that made Roy look at Edward curiously.

"I thought you didn't believe in angels."

"More his words… than mine. But they're better than anything I could ever create." Edward replied quietly, and gazed up past the gray stone and off into the sky. "He'd understand what I meant."

Roy smiled down at him, and reached out to take his hand and squeeze it. "I think I do too."

Edward looked up at him, and squeezed back. "Thank you for telling me… and letting me go all crazy, and then finding me afterwards. I'm glad you're here."

"There's something else he wanted me to do." Roy ventured, believing that this was the right time he'd been waiting for. Before, Edward had been torn up enough trying to make sense of it all. But now? Now he knew Edward could handle it, and accept it for what it was and then move on.

"Just one last thing?" Edward asked lightly, but smiled.

Roy smiled back. "Yes, just one last thing." And taking a leaf out of Raymond's book, he leaned in to kiss Edward, chastely. And when he pulled away he gazed into Edward's eyes. "Do you understand?"

Edward looked at him a long moment, expressionless, before he squeezed Roy's hand again. "I do… and thank you." And suddenly he grew very thoughtful as he considered Roy.

"What is it?" Roy asked with a frown, feeling somewhat suspicious.

"You two kissed?" Edward asked, his tone and face making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.

Roy cleared his throat and flushed just a little. "He kissed me. Chastely. Why?"

Edward suddenly smirked, "I think I would have liked to see that."

Roy blushed full force now. "You would have _what_?!"

"Liked to see you two kiss." Edward was now grinning. "Something about it just… yes."

Roy rolled his eyes, and leaned in to kiss Edward again. But this kiss was all his own, and he kissed Edward hungrily until the blond was breathless. "Don't ruin the melancholic moment." He said, waving a hand towards the headstone.

Edward smirked at him, but went into Roy's arms as they embraced. Leaning his head against Roy's chest, he looked at the headstone and the sky beyond and inwardly sighed. He felt at peace now, about all of it. Feeling Roy's head rest down against his, he spoke. "So I've decided."

"Decided what?" Roy asked quietly, also gazing at the headstone and its majestic backdrop. Edward really had chosen a perfect place for it. He knew without a doubt that Raymond would have been happy about it, not just the location, but the fact that Edward had wanted to do this and Roy had come as well to be a part of it. Yes, he knew Raymond would have been happy. And silently, he bade the man to rest in peace. For if anyone he knew deserved it, it was him.

"What to do with the rest of my life. I received the sign I was waiting for. I intend to follow it." Edward replied more than a little cryptically. But he felt a bit of delight in drawing this out.

"You're going to dig graves?" Roy guessed lightly.

Edward chuckled softly, and drew away now to look up at Roy. "I'm going to quit my job; I have the money, and a home. Sure I'll have to buy my own car, but that's fine. The thing is… I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No being apart because I have to work. We can do whatever we want. As long as I'm with you, I don't care. I've waited my entire life to find my sign. And you _are_ that sign."

Roy couldn't help it, he smiled. "You brat." And he quickly swooped down to kiss Edward tenderly, gathering the blond up against him until he was sure that there wasn't a part of them not touching. And when Edward finally had to pull away to get air, he smiled at him as his eyes glittered happily. "I love you, Edward."

"So…" Edward grinned, "you're agreeable?"

"Having you with me all the time? I'm more than agreeable." Roy informed him seriously, despite the smile still firmly on his face.

Edward was positively glowing. "Even if we fight sometimes?"

"I'll just make sure I win." Roy smirked at him, and pulled away to duck just in time to narrowly avoid having his head whacked. "No, Edward," he continued with a smile. "I daresay I'd love having you around constantly. There are decades of us being apart I wish to make up for."

Edward wasn't sure he could smile any wider, his face already hurt from it. But he was obscenely happy, that he did know. Yet he managed to coax the smile down to something more soft as he gazed back to the headstone. "We should go get started inside, and then we can go get some dinner." He proposed quietly.

"Yes." Roy agreed, and came to stand with Edward again. "Will you be okay now?"

"Yes." Edward looked up at him, and then leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Do you ever remember me saying that I only liked him? It never went farther than that?"

"Mmm." Roy nodded just enough to be noticeable.

"I'll be okay." Edward smiled, and clasped hands with Roy again as they took some last moments, before finally turning with "goodbyes", to start on dealing with that wine.

It was hard for Edward to be inside that house again, Roy could see it in the golden eyes. But Edward still seemed at peace. Everything was as it had been left by Raymond last he'd been there. Dust covered everything, the lights no longer worked. But luckily there was still some daylight coming from the windows. But even if there weren't, Roy had a fairly good feeling that Edward knew his way around blind.

"Did you come here often?" He asked, following Edward to where he presumed the wine was.

Edward shook his head, "just a few times. For a party. And I always stayed in town, though he always told me I was welcome to take a guest room. Friends, and all." He laughed quietly. "If he is as much like you as you say, I wouldn't have been alone for very long."

Roy could say that Edward probably had the man pegged right there. "Though he may have been more… subtle about it than I was. Telling you straight out I was in love with you. He would have gone the seduction route I'm sure. I didn't have time for seduction at that time."

"I remember." Edward did remember that night, clearly. How he'd gotten upset with Roy, and rather forced the man to be up front and direct with him. "Sorry about that. You've been doing good seducing me anyway though."

"Of course I am." Roy laughed, and followed Edward around several more corners before they came to what seemed to be a dead end. "Lost?"

"Not quite." Edward said, and reached up to press a certain panel of wood in. And he breathed a sigh of relief that it still worked, and the wall moved aside to open up the doorway. "Trick rooms." He said over his shoulder as he led the way into the dark room. It had to be kept dark for the wine. "He had some put in to guard his more valuable things. Like his wine. He loved his wine collection."

Roy entered as well, and was met with the sight of racks upon racks of wine bottles. "How are we going to get all of these out of here?"

Edward merely chuckled as he roamed the shelves. Finally he came to what he was seeking, and pulled down a dusty bottle. Then walking over to a cabinet he pulled free two wineglasses. "I know a place to start."

Roy accepted his glass, finding it free of dust. And then he followed Edward out back into the hallway. "Let's hope that one you have there is still good."

Edward examined the bottle. "It better be, else I'll be upset. This is one of my favorites." And he led Roy into the place he'd promised to show him. The hall of black pillars, and sculptures. Everything here was covered in dust as well, but it didn't detract much at all from the general splendor of the sculptures themselves.

Roy still thought everything else was freaky. As he was sure Raymond would glare at him for. Eventually he walked over to where Edward had sat on his coat up against one of the pillars at the farthest end. There were windows behind him overlooking part of the yard, and doors on either side.

Edward finished removing the cork, and poured himself a glass upon finding the wine still good. "There's enough room for us both." He said as Roy came to sit next to him on his coat. "So is this the place?"

Roy looked around, and nodded through a faint smile. "Yeah. This is the place." And he looked down to watch Edward fill his glass with a crimson wine. "Still as strange as I remember it."

Edward laughed quietly, and set the bottle aside on the floor. "Apparently taste in art display rooms is something you two don't have in common."

"We only have the important stuff in common." Roy said as he smiled at Edward, meeting those golden eyes that were now so very much at peace. "And what shall our toast be at the end of all this?" He asked, raising his wineglass up.

"To second chances?" Edward queried with a smile as he raised his wineglass.

Roy met Edward's gaze, and smiled back. "To second chances."


	47. Chapter 47

Moonlit: I actually have... I just have never tried to get it published. I have three original works, two I want to one day write sequels for. And that makes me feel special XD.

copycat: Yeah, I like to have happy endings. You wouldn't guess it looking at the majority of my oneshots, but I do like happy endings.

Gaara: Thank you.

moonstone: You know he'll think of something.

Koorii: Good lord woman, you need to learn how to type the words 'and they smooched each others faces off', or something like that. -snickers- I've never heard that song, I'll have to find it and listen. And no, I made up the line about the angel and the sky. One of my fewer but more brilliant moments. I'm glad you're in love with it.

Tana: Unfortunately no weddings... but I imagine they'd one day have them.

amlf: I would love to see that too. I'd be right there with Ed eating popcorn and smiling.

EveningAlchemist: Almost made you cry? Darn... that means a quarter less payment from the tissue companies XD. -catches pie- I agree with you on the guard llama thing, forget a german shepherd, I want a Nitro.

GreedxEd: You really want Marks and Collins to get it on like rabbits don't you -snickers-. You're so funny. But don't ruin my sob moment by telling me stuff like that XD.

Sailor Silver Rose: Oh dear, I can see how that would be disturbing. Clean your shower. Thoroughly.

haganeno: Either way as long as you don't hit me or anything... but yay! CAKE!

Akira: Thank you, a lot. And I can't wait either actually... as sad as I am to be finishing this one.

kazuko: I take it your grandpa doesn't enjoy airplanes either? And yes, chocolates are the best. Nothing like some chocolate romance. And that's strange that the site wasn't working right for you. I hope it keeps working now.

E: Oh my... I am hiding Roy and Ed from you now.

* * *

Some last minute words before we commence with the epilogue and the official end to the story.

I'm spring cleaning my MSN and YIM messengers. I think I know who maybe... six people total on them are still. Chances are you're not one of them (that includes my wives). XD

I will be replying to the last of the reviews, just through the reply function itself.

Stop adding this to story alerts. It's completed. As in, I hit the 'complete' button and saved it and now get to gorge myself on sugar.

Tomorrow the winner of the votes will be put up as my newest story. The other stories I have going currently (Paradox and Ultimatum) will be updated soon. Never fear. I just had time issues the past few weeks. Or months. Whichever. Ever since April things have been crazy for me. As for my LJ stories... let's just say I'll update when LJ's posting page actually loads, instead of... not. I get that triple chocolate cookie recipe up and LJ goes into diabetic meltdown so I can't post for a while, or something.

And with all that being said, I leave you to the short epilogue that gives a brief snapshot of what happened to the main OC's, and Al and Marta. Thank you everyone for reading this far, favoriting it, favoriting me, and a special thank you to those of you who have left me such beautiful reviews. I've met a lot of new people during this story, and I hope that tomorrow you'll be back for a new one. As I hope everyone else will be back. Thanks for everything. I now leave you with the epilogue.

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

**Epilogue**

In the days and weeks that passed since the clinking of glasses had filled the black-pillared hall, stood forsaken for so long, it was not just the second chances of two that were embarked upon. In a ripple effect, the decisions of two people forever changed the course of other lives. For better or worse, it could only be for them to decide.

**Office of Thomas Brown – London**

"Have you seen him lately?" Charles Kain asked as he browsed the pictures handing on the office wall. He'd just had a press conference out on the Green, and had stopped in for a chat.

Thomas shook his head, twirling his pen between his fingers as he stared out the window. Personally he still couldn't quite believe the view he'd gotten over the river Thames. Just a matter of luck he supposed, luck and good timing. "Not since he turned in his resignation."

Charles smiled faintly, "rather like how his father up and vanished. I guess we shouldn't be surprised. But I had hoped… I just miss him I guess. The other advisors are having a hard time stepping in to fill his shoes."

"I'm sure he'll make an appearance when it's on his own terms." Thomas turned to watch as Charles continued to browse photographs and paintings.

"It worked out nicely for you though. With the recommendation he left for you." Charles grinned over at him. "You're on your way to the top. Hell, you even got an office with a view. Just warn me before you decide to challenge my position as prime minister."

Thomas scoffed at him good-naturedly. "Charles, I'm a full-fledged politician now. And Mister Elric prepared me well for it. If I run against you, I sure as hell am not going to tell you about it beforehand. I want to see your face and leech some confidence from it."

"Comforting." Charles rolled his eyes, and tilted his head as he studied a reprint of _The Abduction of Europa_. "What do you make of that anonymous call that was received informing the police about Kedder being dead, and all those animals that were found?"

"Exactly what you made of it." Thomas answered smoothly. He'd seen the komodo dragon, he was no idiot to not fathom a guess as to where it had come from. Thus he wasn't fool enough to believe that Kedder being shot dead was a random act. "We've always known Kedder hated Edward. And we may not have known, but we guessed that Edward was not the type to take such things lying down."

Charles turned to him with a wry smile. "And the fact they have no leads, not even fingerprints-"

"-Edward always wore those gloves."

"-it makes it clear to us." Charles finished, "but I'm not about to say anything. And I doubt you are either."

"No." Thomas was firm in his answer. "I see no wrong in what he did."

Charles could agree there, and after a moment he came over to sit in one of the chairs before Thomas's desk. "But have you ever gotten the feeling that he was never quite… human?"

Thomas twirled his pen some more as he considered the question. And finally he shrugged. "It's a very general term that, human… so many ways to define it. I'd say that _he_ was human. But I believe there was a reason he never spoke much of his past beyond the gypsies."

"I see your point." Charles looked down, to watch the pen twirl. "Are you coming to the party on Saturday?"

"My first party where I'm actually invited and am not just allowed in because of who my boss is?" Thomas grinned at him. "You better believe that I'm going. I'm determined to find myself a nice lady at one of these parties."

Charles smirked, and rose from his chair. "You're looking in the political sphere, the women are more manipulative than the men. If you want a nice lady, I suggest looking around at the polo matches away from our crowd."

"Personal advice from experience?" Thomas raised an eyebrow, but filed the information away.

"Where do you think my relatives found their wives?" Charles grinned at him, and then stood. "I'll see you on Saturday. Nice office."

Thomas stood as well and clasped hands with the man, smiling. "Thanks. For a lot of things." And he watched as Charles left his office, the door closing behind him. Still smiling, he sat back down. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to fulfill all his ambitions. Edward had given him the boost he'd needed, and now it was up to him to make it all matter.

**Romanian Embassy – London**

"Sir, the reports just came in, and you are not a father."

Fane Banciu leveled a look worthy of any hell creature at one of his employees. He was sure that they'd all drawn straws to decide who would report in to him about this. So really, this poor sod probably didn't deserve being glared into the ground, but it made him feel better. So the poor sod would suffer. "Of course I'm not a father. It was a _gossip column_! Go get back to work, stop bothering me with this drivel."

But aside from this bit of unneeded news that brought back the memories he'd been trying to repress – though as of yet he hadn't tried electroshock therapy –, he was still whore-less as it seemed the girls who'd run out on him had informed all their friends. Could he help it if he had standards for whores? So he had been cornered and blocked on the market. And then there had been that delightful news about Edward Elric resigning.

Which should have made him dance around in gleeful joy.

Except he soon realized that while Edward may not be the prime minister's advisor, the sneak of a blond had left him some last minute advice. And now the prime minister himself was refusing the meetings he sought about certain issues until he could provide adequate proof that changes were being made.

And while he very much wanted to march right up to Elric's front door, and make some demands, he knew better. First off, the llama still guarded the domain. Second, he doubted Edward would save him from that llama. It was best to just try and let things go. And in the meantime… work on getting that proof he should have gotten ages ago instead of playing a losing game of political tennis with Edward.

Well, there was one bright side to all of this that he could not deny was a bright side.

Alice was still disgraced and away.

**Berane – Montenegro**

Alice was scowling as she looked at her reflection in the mirror of the small room she shared with another, what she liked to call, poor lost soul. She _hated_ this nun habit she had been forced to wear. Literally. As in all her other clothes had been taken from her and put who knew where. And as she couldn't very well go around stark naked, she was forced to wear this confining, unflattering thing. And what was worse! She wasn't allowed to do anything remotely intimate with a man!

This was unfair, as all the men she encountered the times she was allowed to go out with a chaperone eyed her up and down. Oh how she'd like to show them she may be dressed as a nun, but she was no novice to the world of drunken parties and random sex in bathrooms. But she was unable to do so.

Her chaperone, a Sister Rose, was always watching her like a hawk.

"…and then we will pray tonight for three hours, to observe the Saint-"

"Three hours?" Alice screeched, whirling around to stare wide-eyed at Sister Rose.

Rose smiled, "yes. It should be sufficient time to pray and find God again tonight. And afterwards you will hold an all night vigil awake, tending to the candles and readying the church for service tomorrow." Oh she _was_ enjoying herself. When Edward Elric had called her up on the phone to ask her for a few favors, she had been all too eager to oblige once Alice showed up. She'd have to remember to thank him for allowing her to have some fun along with straightening out this poor misled girl.

"What?!" Alice screeched again. "I'm not the only one staying up, right?"

Rose gave her a confused look. "Of course you are. This task has been appointed to you through the saints whom we honor tonight. And don't shriek so, you are a young lady, not a cat."

"Young lady? I'm as old as you are!"

"It does not seem ladylike to call yourself old." Rose said, and patted Alice's cheek. "I require your presence in ten minutes. Do not be late again, or I shall be forced to double your duties."

Alice glared at her as Rose walked out, and then threw her head back with a groan. "This place is going to kill me. I've got to get out of here."

From just beyond the door, Rose smiled, and made a mental note to have Alice watched more carefully. She was not about to let the girl escape. Oh no. And really, if Alice was complaining about having to do two hours more of assisting the elderly and helping out at the orphanage, she still had a ways to go in turning her into a sensible girl.

The next few years should be fun.

And Rose walked off with a bright smile, intending to make a phone call to an old friend and provide an update before she recommenced with project Alice.

**Olde Mitre – London**

The tap of his cane was now background noise, and the artificial leg was still awkward, but Collins wasn't exactly gloomy as he walked up to the door of the pub. He knew this was where he needed to be, for many reasons. He could have crawled home right after his release from the hospital, or even gone to fetch his car from where it was probably sitting about abandoned, but he decided against it. Instead he'd called for a taxi and had it drive him elsewhere.

So now here he was, outside the home turf of the person he hated most in this world. The person who the doctors had told him had been the reason he'd lived. But that was one of very many reasons, and confusions, that now brought him here. Taking a deep breath, he let himself inside.

He ignored the bar area, though he nodded to the staff. Instead he made his way to the room he knew Marks ran his illegal gambling operation out of. It was slow going for him, as he still wasn't exactly agile with his cane and fake leg. Reaching the door he chose against knocking. Knocking meant the door being opened, and then most likely shut in his face and locked. No, he was not about to knock. Seizing the door handle, he let himself in.

Marks looked up in interest, and then mild surprise, followed quickly by a smirk and an appraising look. "Well, well, if it isn't Collins. Up on your feet again already, that's surprising. It would have been a fitting way for you to end, death by lizard." But he waved the man in. "Shut the door, place your bets."

Collins did shut the door, managing not to rise to the bait for an argument. "I'm not here to gamble." He said, and stayed where he was. "I'm here to talk to you."

"Talk to me." Marks deadpanned, gave him a suspicious look, but leaned back in his chair before nodding to another. "Take a seat then at least. Lurking in doorways is rude."

Collins glared at him, but said nothing. Merely partially hobbled his way over to an empty chair to sit.

"If you're here to talk to me about how you're going to repay me for finding you and hauling you to the hospital, I'll accept your gifts. However I didn't do it for you," he said sternly, "I did it for Elric."

Collins smirked at him while he laid his cane over his thighs, grasping it at both ends. "I know Edward paid us both only a short while after that all happened. Which means any duty you had to me because of him ended. So why is it that you only left the hospital last night?"

Marks's eyes narrowed. "A bit of lingering delirium, perhaps? Should you check back in for another hospital stay?"

But Collins was not about to be baited, or redirected. Not this time. This time, Marks wasn't going to get a rise out of him. It was overdue, but it was how it was going to go. He only smirked more. "The doctors told me you'd been staying in my room the entire time I was out. But as soon as I began to wake up, you took off. So tell me, Marks, why'd you stay?"

Looking away, Marks harrumphed to himself and kicked his feet up on the table before him. "Curiosity. A curiosity which was fulfilled when you got better."

Collins smiled, that answer would do… for now. But he'd get the truth later once he got the man inebriated. Only curiosity? He'd only buy that if he were an idiot. And despite what Marks might say, he was not an idiot. "Well, in any case, I'm alive."

"You are." Marks sounded pained about it.

"Don't seem so gloomy." Collins chided him, and then took a deep breath. "So in light of that… I must say the two words I never thought I'd say to you. Thank you."

Marks smirked at that, and his feet came off the table as he sat up properly. "Don't ever mention it again. I'll have to kill you myself if you do."

"Of course." Collins smirked back at him, not feeling at all threatened. Who'd have believed him anyway besides Edward? No one else would think Marks capable of saving another human life, especially his.

At that, Marks stood up. "Come on, I recall that I owe you a drink." He announced as he walked around the table and towards the door. "And you can tell me all about this lizard."

Collins carefully got to his feet, and clacked his way after the man. "You'd just accuse me of it being a fish story!" He said as they entered the main part of the pub.

"How well you know me. But it's a story even so." Marks said as he sauntered over to the bar counter. "And I'm in the mood for beer and a good story."

**Toronto**

Alphonse stood outside the front door of a house he hadn't seen in far too long. Marta's house. It was an hour past sunset, so he knew she was at home. He had only arrived back in Toronto a few hours ago. He'd checked in at the hotel, and then come here bearing flowers. And small packages of flours too, as the case were. And the entire flight back over here he'd been nervous. About stupid stuff really, but nervous he still was.

So feeling very much like a hopelessly enamored teenager come to ask out the most beautiful girl in school, Alphonse raised his free hand and rapped lightly on the door.

It didn't take long for the door to open, and when Marta instantly smiled, Al felt all his nerves melt away. "I wasn't sure which one you'd prefer…" he said holding out the bouquet and the few small packages of various flours. "So I bought both."

Marta laughed as she took the flowers and the flours, and set them aside immediately. "Prefer?" She repeated before she quickly embraced him in a tight hug. "I prefer you."

Alphonse grinned as he hugged her back. "Gods I've missed you."He said softly as he held her tight. It had only been a little over a week since he'd seen her, but right now, it felt too long to have been without.

"I've missed you too." Marta replied, not willing to move away from him yet. "We'll figure this out though."

"We will." Al promised her. "I'd do anything for you, you know." He said, and only pulled away enough to steal a kiss which was eagerly returned before they parted for air, smiling, and returned to their embrace.

Marta chuckled, smiling into his chest. "Deceptively charming."

Alphonse smiled at the barely heard words, and turned his head to kiss her hair. "And true." His eyes closed as a soft, contented sigh let itself out. He was falling, and he knew it. He knew that they'd figure this out, because for him, it didn't matter where he was anymore. As long as she was there, he was home.


End file.
